.s^ %, 






^^1%^ 



0' 



■x"- 












V-i^' - 






"t^ v^' 



.%il^ 






•^.. ,^«- 



''/ 



.0 o. 






^•* ^^/rzw: 



- ''^-. .^t 



-^V/- .nX^ 



•0' X- 



^^ dr 



^0^- 

.^^ ^^. 



5(-^ ^^ "^i 






"^^^- 



%> ^ .^""i:'.^^^ 

^^.. J^ - ^^'^:^^^ 



/V7-2, 



"- r^wj/'^ <^ s' 









■>, ,.N^' 



'\' ^ .c^i.,.!^ 



-r., aV 



^Si^^i 






'^, ^ / . . s ^ 



-^ 'V 



7 r- 






^^^.-', 



v.^' 



M^' 






:^^,^ v^' 



,0' 



-c^■«^«^, 





■'oo^ ., 




^^' 




,«:,# 




% 









.s^^' '^.>. 









.XV^ '^-x>. 



^V 



aX- 



'/' ■ 



^.^. c^^ 



.00. 



A- 



^ 9 1 A -^ ^^^' 



cf-^ '-' . V ^ -O- 



.■^' - 









.V. C?' 



«■ ' 






V^^' ^^ 



\. :i 






'J- V O ;^ 







c^' 






"" ^■^'^v^. 









. "V, 



■A^ 



^i-^^ 



^V^,r%^'/ 



The Partisan Rangers 



OF THE 



CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY 



EDITED BY WILLIAM J. DAVIS 



LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: 
9EO. G, FETTER COMPANY 

\9Q4 



C. 



r- 



-Q 






THt L'SRARY OF 

CONGRESS, 
ONt Ccif-r KfcceivED 

OCT, It 1904 
CLASS <::^ xxc, r^a 

/ COPY A. 



COPYRIGHT, 1904. 

BY 

ADAM R. JOHNSON. 



PREFACE 



^ ^ ^ 



My motive in publishing this work has been two-fold: 

First, to pay merited tribute to the Kentucky boys, who, most 
of them gently born and nurtured, left home, family, friends, for- 
tune behind them, and, enlisting in my command, fought for the 
Cause of the South. I do not dwell on these sacrifices ; it is enough 
to say that the young Kentuckians cheerfully bore every privation 
and freely offered their lives in defense of principles they held to be 
right and for the sake of the cause they loved. This story of their 
services is my tribute to their memories. May it not also be regarded 
as a minor contribution to the history of the war between the States ? 

Secondly, to aid the women of the South, who, under the name 
of United Daughters of the Confederacy, have organized local so- 
cities, or Chapters, in the several States, to care for the poor, to 
nurse the sick, to relieve the distressed, to help the aged and infirm 
among the survivors of the Lost Cause, to bury them when they 
die, and to mark their graves. Another purpose of these noble 
women is to place in the hands of their children and their children's 
children truthful histories, so that the memory of the Confederate 
soldier shall not perish, but be rightfully held in honor. 

I have long wanted to help this work. 1 therefore propose to 
donate to each chapter one-third of the proceeds of the sales of this 
book made by it, and to the National Association ''U. D. C" one- 
third of the proceeds of all other sales. I wish I could give more. 

I feel that I should not close this prefatory note without rendering 
thanks to the friends who have encouraged me and who have as- 
sisted me in the preparation of this book, especially to Colonel 
James W. Bowles and Major Frank Amplias Owen, whose kindness 
and courtesy have been great. 



CONTENTS 



PART !. 



Chapter I. Boyhood asd \outh 1 

Parentage — outdoor life — business training — surveying in Texas — 
typical frontiersmen — Yellow Wolf — at Kickapoo Creek — "Joe Smitb." 
— a useful lesson — Indians — a twelve-year-old boy — old Bob Cavaness — 
P:^iijali Helm. 

CHAPTEii II. The Texas FiioxTiEr: 9 



Indians on the Overland Mail Route — Johnson's Station — the water- 
hole — reprisals — the squaw — buckshot versus arrows — "forting up" — 
Lieutenant-Governor Lubbock — outwitting an old chief — Neil Helm — 
Van Horn's Well — Escondia Springs — surveying under difficulties. 

Chapter IIL I>diax Hostilities 18 

Buffalo Gap — the Tonkawa. — the Comanche brave — the battle of 
Antelope Hills — Peta Nacona — Cynthia Ann Parker — "Old Rip" — Po- 
hebits Quasho, or "Iron Jacket" — Chief Placido. 

Chapter IV. The Surveyors ]i6 

On the divide — the "Big Pool" — Van Dorn, Ross and Majors — 
the Wichita fight — the Mustang Water-hole — Charlie Ranner — Ross's 
expedition — death of Peta Nacona — news of Lincoln's election — mar- 
riage with Miss .Josephine Eastland — the superintendent "settles" — 
a training school. 

Chapter V. Forrest's Scouts SS" 

Meeting with Forrest — Bob Martin, the scout — a pell-mell fight — 
Forrest in action — "What became of the Yank?" 



yi CONTENTS. 

Chapter VI. Skirmishes and Captures 1 ^ 

Capture of Colonel Jim Jackson's cavalry horses — the McFarland 
girls — two "nice young men" — the requisition — the joke on Field — 
General Crittenden's good humor— Mrs. McFarland has her inning. 

Chapter YII. At the Old Home i^ 

At Henderson — military headquarters — brothers in the Federal 
army — Colonel Holloway — suspicion — pursuit — combat — en route to 
church — "You must leave this town to-night" — the sergeant's horse — 
return to Forrest. 

Chapter VIII. In Eeoekal Camp^ 53 



A fortunate horse-trade — within the enemy's lines — information 
leads to enemy's repulse — behind the Federal general's tent again — 
the three scouts — fight with the gunboats — a successful ruse — third 
scout into the Federal camp — preparing for battle. 

Chapter IX . Fort Donelson 63 

The battle of Fort Donelson — Forrest's part — Hanson's brigade — 
Generals Buckner, Pillow and Floyd — encounter with a Federal lieu- 
tenant — Martin asleep — talk of surrender — Forrest determines to 
escape — his scouts find the way — discussion at headquarters — justice 
to Buckner — Floyd's guide — panic at Nashville — Forrest restores order. 

Chapter X. After the Battle of Shilou 73 

With dispatches to Texas — at the Burnet home — return to active 
service — Bob Martin's prisoners — a renegade Southerner — an "Indian 
thicket" — "too shrewd" to be entrapped — on Van Dorn's staff — fight 
at Farmington — Bob Martin's feat. 

Chapter XL The Message in Cipher 82 

General Breckinridge sends for "the two young scouts" — a lesson 
in "cipher" — scouting for Breckinridge — the railroad cut — the mission — 
John C. Breckinridge — the sick Confederate — a smallpox stampede — 
Federal pickets — David R. Burbank — the message delivered — "too 
young for a leader" — stay-at-home Confederates — an army of three — 
the Federal major and the Kentucky girl. 



Chapter XII. A Band of Threk 



"Three hundred guerillas" attack Henderson — "Bloody war on the 
Border" — resolutions — a mild communication — Bob Martin as envoy — 
Jiramie Quinn on duty — the amende honorable — recruits — the black- 
list — an army of seven attack Madisonville— occupation of Henderson — 
flying the Confederate flag. 



CONTENTS'. Vii 

Chapter XIII. The CAritJKE of Newbueg 1D4 

An army of twenty-seven — the stovepipe battery — surrender and 
capture — a colonel of home-guards — gunboats pursue — home-guards 
as avengers — repulse of gunboats — "Stovepipe Johnson" — effect of the 
expedition. 

ChaptePv XI \'. The BivECKiMiiDGE Guards 109 

The army of three becomes a battalion — Indiana home-guards in- 
vade Kentucky — are happy to get back safe — proclamation to Ken- 
tuckians. 

Chapter XV. The Rajngers' Flag 11^ 

Capture of Hopkinsville — capture of Clarksville — citizens rejoice — 
Miss Tennie Moore — presentation of the flag — the old black mammy — 
results of expeditions — Federal forces kept from the front. 

Chapter XVI. The Partisan Rangers IIG 

Capture of Madisonville — an unprincipled Union officer — battle of 
Geiger's Lake — one of Martin's feats — Federal discomfiture — artillery 
mules in action — improved prospects — the "River Robber" — the band 
of three becomes a regiment — "The Partisan Rangers of the Confed- 
erate Army." 

Chapter XVII. Bragg Dallies in Kentuckiy 123 

En route to Richmond — a Tennessee host — "Stovepipe Johnson" — 
too many counsellors — a Federal passport — in Buell's camp — meeting 
with Forrest — a change of plan — Kentucky ablaze — the turning point 
of the war in the West — evacuation of Kentucky. 

Chapter XVIIl. The President ojf the Confederacy. •/ 127 

In Richmond — synopsis of first report — the Tenth Kentucky Cav- 
alry — promotions, appointments and commissions — Jefferson Davis — 
a thorn in the side — Bragg sets a trap. 

Chapter XIX. Entrapped by Bragg 183 

Morgan's Christmas raid — feint against Lebanon — mission to Texas 
— capture of wagons — another of Martin's feats — crossing the Missis- 
sippi — General Albert Sidney Johnston's wound — reorganization of the 
Tenth Kentucky Cavalry — mutual compliments — St. Leger Grenfell — 
Morgan's division of cavalry — Basil W. Duke: his ability and reputa- 
tion; unanimous desire that he command first brigade; second in 
rank to Morgan; "the ablest officer of his age" — command of the 
second brigade — skirmishes — another of Martin's feats; his woun.d — 
Major G. Wash Owen. 



Viii CONTENTS. 

Chapter XX. The I]\ diana axd Ohio Raids 112 

Across the Cumberland — skirmishes — defeat at Green river bridge 

— capture of Lebanon demonstration by Major Davis — across the 

Ohio — agreement broken — encounters with home-guards — Cincinnati 
flanked — General Zachary Taylor's nephews — "the danger line 
passed;" — "troubles are over" — disastrous mistake — ammunition ex- 
hausted and men worn out — struggle in the Ohio — rescue of Neil Helm 
— Federal soldiers forbear — three hundred escape. 

Chapter XXI. Moegats^'s Men Reoeganized IrTl 

In Richmond — Kentucky representatives— Shall Morgan's men be 
dismounted? — E. M. Bruce and Adjutant-General Cooper — Colonel Wil- 
liam Preston Johnston befriends the command — President Davis — the 
camp at Morristown — bushwhackers — Morgan's men at Chickamauga — 
Bragg's enmity and Forrest's friendship — Bragg's failure after victory 
— Forrest makes a speech — renewed efforts to dismount Morgan's 
cavalry — "the old man" again checkmated — in camp at Decatur— Mor- 
gan escapes from prison and resumes command — ordered to Rich- 
mond — an important work. 

Chapter XXII. The Forlorn Hope 1B2 

The "thin gray line" — Kentuckians in council — secrets of State — 
en route to Kentucky — department of western Kentucky — Burbridge 
routed by Breckinridge — proclamation to Kentuckians — a Federal 
officer's review of Confederate movements in Kentucky — promotions 
and commissions — rapid recruiting — the Sons of Liberty — plans frus- 
trated — battle of Grubbs Crossroads — wounded and put hors du com- 
bat — daring feats — Colonel Chenoweth takes command. 

Chapter XXIII. The Rangers' Last Campaign 176 

Narrative of Colonel Chenoweth: recapitulation^grief over the 
body of his wounded commander — General Johnson's loss of sight and 
imprisonment— an incident at Grubbs Crossroads — Waller O. Bullock — 
atrocities of the Federal General Payne; his "foul memory;" Federal 
General Meredith's opinion — after the battle of Grubbs Crossroads — 
personal adventures— Dr. Mathewson and his family— General H. B. 
Lyon commands the department— fight with a negro regiment— a 
guerilla band — Adam Johnson's brigade as reorganized — guerillas out- 
lawed; Bob Gillaspie— a grand ball at Hopkinsville— encounter with 
Federal troops— Lyon and McCook— a winter raid— cut off by a gun- 
boat—a Confederate colonel mixes with Federal cavalry in pursuit of 
his own men — General Lyon's daring escape — news of Lee's surrender 
—surrender to General Meredith; his courtesy and kindness— enemies 
become friends. 



CONTENTS'. ix 

Chapter XXIV. Latteu Days 197 

Personal narrative resumed: hospitable amenities; kindness of friends 
and relatives during convalescence — imprisonment — exchange — appli- 
cation for re-assignment to duty; interviews with the President and 
the Secretary of War; their remonstrances; orders issued — rejoin wife 
and old friends— death of Neil Helm— journey to Mississippi— wel- 
comed by remnant of old command; preparations for return to Ken- 
tucky; news of Lee's surrender; "all is over" — journey to New Or- 
leans — sudden trip to Kentucky — kind offers — return to Texas — the 
greatest and best man of the Confederacy — Davis and Lincoln. 

Chapter XXV. The NE^\' Home 20T5 

Bad conditions — "reconstruction" and confusion — Honey Creek 
Cove — the old Dancer home — the poisoned arrows of the Comanches— 
murder of Dancer — an oath of vengeance — the Brazeal boys — the new 
home. 

Chapter XXVL Lnoiax PcAids 20G 

Adventures of Miller and Morrow — raid on Honey Creek Cove — 
Pickett's adventure — struggle for existence — courage and endurance 
of Mrs. Friend — Indian captives — misplaced sympathy; "philanthro- 
pists" encourage crime — the Shegogs and the Menascos — Indian 
thieves and white marauders — minute men — story of the Dillard 
brothers. 

Chapter XXVII. Ixdiax Raids (coxti xue!)) 



On the ridge of Burnet county — escape of Mrs. Johnson and friends 
— the Whitlocks — story of Brit, the famous negro — the frontier in 
arms; no aid from the government; misrepresentations of sutlers 
and Indian agents; correspondence with officials — the Kiowa chiefs, 
Sattanta, Big Tree and Satank — trial of Indians by a civil court; the 
only instance — the Reconstruction Administration; its failure and 
overthrovx^ — Indians beaten; troubles ended. 

Chapter XXVIII. Peace 224 

Return to Burnet — a land office and a "country store" — build a 
school-house— establish a newspaper — physical resources of Burnet 
county; granite and marble quarries opened — Marble Falls; its growth 
and development — public spirit of its citizens — rich and well-watered 
valleys; water-power; building-stones; factories — "The Little Gem 
City" — happiness and peace. 



^ONTEiN'TS. 



PART 



Field OrncERS of the Paetisan Ranoeks. 



General Adam R. Johnson — General Adam R. Johnson's command — 
Colonel E. G. Hall — Major G. Wash Owen — Colonel Leonidas Arm- 
stead Sypert — Major J. Walker Taylor — Colonel Charles Napier — Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Robert Soery. 

Company Officees of the Rangees ■. 274 

Samuel Burk Taylor — Lucas William Trafton — Jacob Bennett — Sam 
Garret Wall — John Hamilton Wall — Paul J. Marrs — Bartlett Louis 
Gooch — Frank Amplias Owen — [Mrs. Frank Amplias Owen] — William 
Currens Dimmit — James Waller — Milam M. Sisk — W. D. Brown — 
Thomas M. Brooks — Polk Laffoon — Alfred Richeson — John D. Fields 
—Ben F. Perkins— William Hollis— Al Fowler— W. B. Albright— John 
B. Dortch — Philip Jones — Oscar L. Barbour — James McClain — Neil 
Helm. 

Brigade Staff 307 

Roster of the Rangers 1508 

Incidents and Adventures — 

Captain William Brank McLean 343 

An Outline History of the Partisan Rangers, by F. A. Owen 344 

The Flag of the Partisan Rangers, by Mrs. J. J. Massie 353 

Morgan and his Men, by General Basil W. Duke 358 

Morgan's Escape from Imprisonment, by Capt. L. D, Hockersmith. .363 
A Partisan Ranger Marries an Ohio Girl, by Capt. John G. Roach. . .385 
A Private's Recollection of Morgan and his Men, by Dr. W. Wil- 
liams 387 

Escape from Camp Morton, by F. A. Owen 395 

Prison Life at Camp Douglas, by T. B. Clore 408 

Prison Life at Camp Douglas, by J. M. Lynn 411 

The Battle of Blue's Pond, by Ben F. Perkins 413 



CONTENTS. Xi 

The Dade Hill Yankee Stampede, by Ben F. Perkins 415 

The Old Gray Leggins, by Ben F. Perkins 417 

Lieut. Jos. W. Bell: a Daring Escape, by John A. Steele 419 

War Reminiscences, by J. S. Waller 422 

Reminiscences of Brig. General Samuel W. Price, U. S. A 425 

The Sons of Liberty, by T. M. Freeman .428 

After the Great Raid, by Josiah B. Gathright .438 

Mrs. Adam R. Johnson, by Colonel James W. Bowles 468 

General Adam R. Johnson, by Governor Lubbock 471 

General Adam R. Johnson, by Colonel Miller 473 



LLUSTRATIONS. 



Albright, Capt. W. B , 302 

Barney Sisk Hill 110 

Barret, John H 102 

Bennett, Captain Jake 276 

Berry, George 336 

Brooks, Captain John 232 

Brooks, Thomas M., and Grandson 340 

Burbank, D. R 84 

Carico, Miss Lide 308 

Chapman, Captain John S 324 

Chenoweth, Colonel James Q 176 

Christy, Captain John H 322 

Clore, Sergeant T. B 408 

College, Marble Falls, Texas 216 

Cotton Factory, Marble Falls, Texas 224 

Court House, Madisonville, Kentucky 100 

Davis, Major William J t 144 

Dimmett, Captain Wm 250 

Duke, Brigadier-General Basil W 140 

Fields, John D., M. D , 294 

First Fight of Brenckinridge Guards 96 

Fisher, Captain L. D 312 

Fowler, Captain Al 300 

Freeman, Capt. T. M 428 

Gathright, Lieut. Jos. B, . , ^38 



xii CONTENTS. ' 

Gooch, Bartlett 320 

Gooch, Thomas 310 

Hamby, John H., and Wife 318 

Hamby, Merriwether, Allen, etc 328 

Hockersmith, Captain L. D 362 

Holloway, Colonel Jas. H 252 

Hotel, Newburg, Indiana 104 

Johnson, Brigadier-General Adam R Frontispiece 

Johnson, Brigadier-General Adam R 228 

Johnson, Mrs. Adam R 226 

Johnson, W. S. (brother of General Johnson) 48 

Laffoon, Lieutenant Polk 290 

McLean, Captain William Brank 342 

Martin, Colonel Robert M 40 

Massie, Mrs. J. J 112 

Mathews, Philip B 36 

Moore, Doctor , 10 

Moore, Wm. H 314 

Morgan, Brigadier-General John H 132 

Owen, Major Frank Amplias 344 

Owen, Mrs. Frank Amplias 284 

Owen, Lieutenant-Colonel G. Wash 116 

Porter, Dr. George 338 

Prow, Captain John 316 

Public School, Burnet, Texas 208 

Ray, Captain Andrew 306 

Redford, Dr. Benjamin 304 

Residence of General Johnson 204 

Residence of General Johnson 212 

Richeson, Captain Alfred 292 

Rocky Rest, first home of General Johnson 220 

Scobee, Rev. J. S 256 

Stovepipe Battery at Capture of Newburg 108 

Sypert, Colonel L. A 262 

Taylor, Captain J. N 326 

Taylor, Captain Sam B 274 

Wall, Captain Sam G 278 

Weak, Joseph (Confidential Scout) 264 

Williams, Wm., M. D 386 

Woodson, or Browning Springs , ....,.,..,. , 120 



PART I. 



Memoirs of General Adam R. Johnson: 



AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE. 



CHAPTER I. 



BOYHOOD AND YOUTH. 



Adam Rankin Johnson was born in the town of Henderson, 
Kentucky, on February 8, 1834. He is the son of Thomas JeiTerson 
Johnson, M. D., and Juliet Spencer Rankin, daughter of Dr. Adam 
Rankin, who settled in Henderson county during the early part of 
the year 1800. Dr. Johnson removed from Frankfort to Henderson 
in 1823, and, four years thereafter, on the fifteenth day of February, 
1827, married Miss Rankin. Dr. Johnson was a man of strong mind 
and positive character, and during his early life enjoyed a prominence 
few young physicians of his day attained. Mrs. Johnson was one 
of the noblest of women, and was beloved by every one who knew 
her. Dr. and Mrs. Johnson lived to a ripe old age and reared a large 
family, all of whom succeeded in life and became prosperous. 

At the age of eight years, I was allowed the use of a gun and 
spent many happy hours roaming the forests and fields of Henderson 
county, where game was still plentiful In course of time, I became 
an expert shot and was considered one of the best hunters in that 
country. I also learned to swim well. 

In this outdoor life I acquired health, strength and activity and 
the habits of close observation and prompt action. Probably more 
than a third of my days up to the age of twenty had been spent 
in the open country, while evening hours were devoted to reading 
history, biography and tales of romance and adventure. 

At the age of twelve years I went into the drug store of Ira 
Delano. He was fond of society and soon left the business to 
my care. The responsibility thus thrown on me was thought to 



2 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

be a misfortune at the time, but I have since learned to regard it 
as a blessing, for I had to make extraordinary exertion to learn 
the business. Having become familiar with it in all its details, I 
virtually controlled it for three years. 

At sixteen, I accepted a position in Burbank's factory and was 
put in charge of about eighty hands. Here, too, the responsibilities 
were serious, but, by close application, I succeeded in accomplishing 
the best results that had ever been attained, making the best 
^'average," as it was called. To properly handle the men under my 
charge, I had to study human nature, and in this school I learned 
to control men, which experience, in after years, served me in many 
a desperate strait, and, indeed, on many occasions thereafter, acting 
on intuitive perceptions, I trusted my life to total strangers; nor 
was I ever deceived. In this association with Mr. Burbank, I derived 
another advantage, though unforeseen. This gentleman was a warm 
personal and political friend of John C. Breckinridge; they visited and 
entertained each other at their respective homes and were congenial 
spirits. As will be seen in the course of this narrative, my association 
with Mr. Burbank strengthened the opinion of General Breckinridge 
that I was the right man to convey an important secret message 
to Mr. Burbank and his friends during the Civil War. Thus do 
single threads unite to form the woof of our lives. 

When twenty years old, 1 went to Texas and settled in Burnet 
county, then called Hamilton Valley, in the western part of the 
State. Texas at that time had a population of only a few hundred 
thousand people; now there are three million and three hundred 
thousand. 

The Indians had not yet been driven from this part of the State 
and were still resisting the advance of the white man, but with little 
success. 

Soon after my arrival, I became acquainted with a party of 
surveyors and attached myself to them, thinking it the best oppor- 
tunity I would find in a new, sparsely-settled country to make a 
living, and reflecting that increasing immigration would bring many 
men into the community, and that perhaps the majority of these 
would acquire ownership of land which a surveyor would have to 
lay off. 

I found the red men roaming over the plains in large numbers, 
industriously endeavoring to live without manual labor, for they rode 
hundreds of miles to steal a few head of stock, when, with millions 



BOYHOOD AND YOUTH. 3 

of acres free to them, northward or westward, they could with more 
ease and no danger raise all the cattle they needed. 

I devoted myself chiefly to the business of surveying lands for the 
ensuing five years, and enjoyed the friendship and had the hearty 
co-operation of neighboring settlers. Among these neighbors and 
friends were three old soldiers who had fought with General Sam 
Houston at the battle of San Jacinto — Captain W. H. Magill, Logan 
Van Deveer and Noah Smithwick. The first two were from 
Kentucky and were very kind to me. These old soldiers were typical 
frontiersmen and great bear hunters. Their stories of war and hunting 
profoundly impressed me. 

Once while hunting a bear they had wounded, they followed him 
until, coming upon him suddenly in the bush, where they had heard 
the almost human scream of agony from one of their dogs, the 
intrepid Van Deveer, impelled by the desire to rescue his dog as 
well as to kill the bear, impetuously rushed in, brandishing a long, 
keen knife which he drove into the heart of the bear just in time 
to save his faithful dog, which was almost crushed between the 
powerful arms of his enraged and relentless adversary. 

At another time, these men had a contract with the Government 
to feed a large body of Comanche Indians, whose hunger must be 
appeased to prevent them from attacking the settlement. The 
hidians, nevertheless, became dissatisfied and, led by a fierce and 
truculent chief, had plotted to murder the white men in charge of the 
cattle. At daybreak they surrounded the camp and were in the 
very act of attacking the herd when Van Deveer, who was coming 
from the fort, dashed on horseback up through the crowd of savages 
to the spot where Yellow Wolf, their chief, was standing, alone. 
Dismounting hastily. Van Deveer seized him by the throat and, 
flashing his big knife before the startled Indian's eyes, exclaimed 
fiercely : " You old yellow scoundrel, I'll cut your throat, if you 
don't make your Indians put up their bows and arrows." 

The Indian chief, astounded and overawed by the boldness and 
impetuosity of a single white man in the face of his band of braves, 
surrendered at discretion and quickly obeyed his command, and thus 
the guards and cattle were saved. Indians admire bravery in a foe 
as well as in a friend, and despise cowardice, and as long as any cf 
these redskins lived, when they chanced to meet a citizen of Burnet 
county, they were sure to ask : " You know him, Logan Van Deveer ? 
Him heap, big brave — skeer Yellow Wolf!" 



4 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

It was not long before I found it necessary to protect myself 
against an attack of tliese treacherous marauders. Once, while 
surveying along a creek that I had named " Yellow Wolf," after 
the old chief, and near Fort Chadbourne, with four companions, 
I was nearly surrounded in the night and attacked by a band .of 
Indians. Drawing the horses into the thicket where we had been 
camping, and instructing the little force to keep up a continual firing, 
1 crept through the tall grass, and, winding, my way to the rear of 
what seemed a large body of men, opened fire upon them, at which 
they were so surprised and disconcerted that they made off hurriedly, 
fearing that they in their turn were about to be surrounded. 

Soon after the occurrence of this incident, camping at Kickapoo 
creek with four men, we heard a large flock of wild turkeys flying 
past. Here was a great temptation for men whose meat was salt 
pork, and Neil Helm and I together followed them up the bottom 
for some distance, but then separated for the better search. Ere 
long, I saw a fine, large gobbler and brought him down at the 
first shot, and then ran forward and placed my foot on the neck 
of the fluttering bird ; but, having learned to be ever on guard, took 
the precaution to reload my gun before dispatching the game. Just 
as I had finished renewing my charge, I saw dimly in the dark some 
one approaching. I slipped behind a tree, " Indian fashion," and 
called out for Helm, who answered on the outer edge of the creek 
bottom. Fearing that the Indians were gathering around my friend, 
I seized the turkey and, slipping into a ravine, made my way to the 
outskirts of the timber and gave a signal for Helm, who, recognizing 
the call, soon came rushing up, exclaiming that he had just caught 
a glimpse of the biggest Indian he had ever seen. Right in front of 
our camp was a low island, covered with high grass and cat's tail flag. 
One of the men who was on guard opposite the lower end of this 
island saw an Indian and promptly fired at him. Another was seen 
at the upper end, and, apprehensive that the savages were trying 
to surround our little party, I set fire to the heavy dry grass and 
reeds, whereupon they vamosed and troubled us no more. 

Having a wagon heavily loaded with provisions for some of our 
men on the plains, we pushed forward and late the next evening 
encamped on Antelope creek. Selecting a small but dense thicket, 
we drew the wagon in so that we could tie the horses to the wheels 
farthest from the road, and all, being greatly fatigued, soon fell 
asleep. I was accustomed to sleep in my clothes, revolver buckled 



BOYHOOD AND YOUTH. 5 

around my waist and gun by my side, so as to be prepared for 
any sudden emergency. About four o'clock next morning, I was 
awakened by a fierce but low growl of my little dog, as if it were 
meant for a signal of danger. This little dog was my constant 
companion, following me everywhere, and always sleeping at my 
feet; he had an instinctive knowledge of the approach of Indians, 
even at a considerable distance. My horse, "Joe Smith," famous 
afterward on the frontier as well for his intelligence, courage and 
docility as for fleetness of foot, snorted and showed signs of 
uneasiness. I therefore concluded that Indians were in the neigh- 
borhood. Quieting them and awaking my comrades gently, I 
whispered: " Get ready quick; I think the Indians are near." Then, 
seizing my gun, I sprang into the thicket. The Indians becoming 
alarmed at the growling of the dog and the noise, though slight, of 
our preparation for action, and presuming the whole party had 
discovered them, rushed out of the thicket through which they had 
been creeping up on the sleeping party and jumped into the dry bed 
of the creek and, to my surprise, suddenly disappeared from view. 
But for the intelligent, watchful dog, seconded by my no less faithful 
horse, they might have murdered us all in our beds. The Indian 
is of uncleanly habit and never bathes; his filthy body emits a rank, 
strong odor, and both dog and horse had smelt them afar and had 
given me timely warning of their approach. 

An examination of this spot the next morning showed the whitish 
creek-bed against which the shadowy forms of the Indians had 
appeared for a moment in distinct relief, but the opposite bank, 
although low, was covered with a carpet of short, thick grass, and on 
this they had thrown themselves, lying still and, like all the hunted 
wild things of field and forest, secure in the knowledge that they 
would escape observation. Later on, during the night, they had 
silently slipped away. I learned a lesson from this experience which 
was most useful in my career in this frontier war and as scout and 
partisan ranger in the Civil War ; it was this : In an uncertain light 
and with the protection of a suitable background, there was little 
chance of detection or recognition; if the enemy could thus elude 
me, so also I could deceive them by this and similar devices; and 
when afterward I had occasion to put this idea in practice, I always 
acted promptly and confidently, ever holding the conviction that the 
ruse resorted to, whatever it was, would succeed. And I may say 
here, in anticipation, that in no instance did this feeling of confidence 



6 X THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

desert me, nor did I at any time fail to accomplish the desired result. 

The red men had by this time learned to respect the courage and 
strategy of the pale-faces in Burnet county and, unless they could 
secretly and furtively get as great an advantage in position as in 
numbers, would generally retreat to await a more favorable oppor- 
tunity of slaying their antagonists without much risk to their own 
persons. Trained intelligence, coolness and courage make a combina- 
tion that is nearly always superior to savage craftiness, ferocity and 
numbers, as has been frequently demonstrated. 

We were soon on the march and moved rapidly forward, fearing 
bad news ahead. We reached the Overland Mail Route before night 
and found that the redskins had stripped several stations of their 
stock and killed all of my own oxen that had been kept for supplying 
the people of the several plains' stations. Knowing that unfortunate 
loss demanded prompt action, we drove the team night and day 
iind reached our men in iheir little forts in time to relieve their 
necessities and re-establish our line. But being obliged to return 
speedily to the settlements, David Joy and I started thither on 
horseback. We made our way without incident to a camp about 
one hundred and fifty miles from the settlements known as " the 
mot " — a name applied to a small group of trees. One evening, 
just as we had finished supper and saddled our horses to continue the 
journey, we discovered a considerable body of Indians not far ahead. 
Drawing our horses into the brush, we remained in hiding until after. 
dark, when we made a detour, eluding the savages while they were 
busy eating supper, their gormandizing habit perhaps blunting their 
naturally keen senses. The Indian habit is to stuflf himself to 
repletion just short of bursting, when he can get food enough to 
meet the demands of his savage hunger, and then not to eat any- 
thing more for a day or two. 

Our little party of two traveled on till midnight, when we came 
to a lone tree, beneath whose protecting arms we lay down to rest, 
after tethering our horses for the remainder of the night. Just before 
daybreak, the horses (almost as good sentinels as dogs) became 
uneasy at some noise, and they were brought up and tied close 
to the tree. A cold, wet spell, called a " norther," having blown up, 
we rolled ourselves in our Mexican blankets and waited for the 
rain to cease. In the morning when we unrolled ourselves, we found 
arrows sticking in our blankets and in the body of the tree where 
the horses were tied. Upon examining the ground, we found that 



BOYHOOD AND YOUTH. 7 

Indians on horseback had been not very far from us, but had 
probably been scared off by the noise made by the horses and their 
riders just before it was light. Whether these savages were a few 
of the large band we had passed the evening before or some other 
Indians, we never ascertained. 

A few weeks later, returning to the plains, accompanied by two 
men, while scouting ahead, I discovered a large body of Indians 
encamped at " the mot." The country being open, it required great 
care on our part to escape their observation, but, being well 
acquainted with the adjacent region, we managed, by circling around, 
to elude detection and reached our destination in safety. 

Not long afterward, the Indians attacked the station at the head 
of the Concho and slew the station agent. A twelve-year-old boy, 
who was with the mules belonging to the station, was cut off from 
the house, but saved his life by his coolness and courage. They 
pursued him a long way and he perceived that when he rode over 
rough ground his pony, being well shod, forged ahead, leaving them 
further behind. So he sought out in his flight the rocky ridges and, 
by circling around the Indians, finally got in the rear and reached the 
house in safety. 

The redskins next made a dash on the station below, 
•capturing all the stock. Pushing on hastily to the next station before 
the intelligence of their proximity could be communicated, they 
captured the stock there and came near taking old Bob Cavaness, well 
known on the plains, who saved his life by one of those daring acts 
which characterized many a frontiersman in those days of constant 
danger. The savages being between him and his house, which they 
probably intended to attack as soon as they had dispatched him, 
he determined to reach his family at all hazard and made a sudden, 
rapid rush through the line of Indians, striking right and left with 
the stock of his gun and reserving his fire for more desperate chances. 
The Indians on horseback would dodge him instead of shooting at 
him, thus fortunately leaving an opening for him, no doubt believing 
Ihey could easily intercept him before he could get home ; but by this 
bold and adroit stratagem and fleetness of foot he got away from 
them. His pursuers were not so anxious to get him as to risk their 
lives by charging in a body and bursting open the doors, so the 
heroic old fellow saved both himself and his family. The wily 
Indians rarely took any very dangerous chances, being more cruel than 
courageous. 



S THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

The same band of Indians subsequently surrounded and attacked 
thj station at Great Creek shooting the station agent, Pennington, 
through the face and breaking both jaws. The bravery of Elijah 
Helm, who was at the station, saved Pennington and his wife from 
being scalped. He told them to open the door and go as fast as 
possible to the dense thicket near at hand and, placing himself 
between them and the two foremost savages, kept the latter at 
bay until his friends had gained the jungle. 



\ 



CHAPTER II. 



THE TEXAS FRONTIER. 



The constant raids of this band of Indians, numbering about one 
hundred and fifty, on the Overland Mail Route, made it exceedingly 
dangerous and very difficult to obtain supplies. Johnson's Station 
on the plain was considered the most hazardous, as we had to haul 
water from a pool twenty-two miles distant; it was also a frequent 
resort of the Indians. They had captured and killed several of my 
ox-teams, but up to this time they had been unsuccessful in their 
attempts to slay my people. The station at the head of the Concho 
was the depot of supplies for both the plains and the Pecos and 
the water-pool lay ten miles above the station on the principal line 
running across the plains. My brother Thomas had gone one day 
in charge of the water-wagon with three men. They had just 
reached the little storehouse at the water-hole when one hundred and 
fifty Indians charged them unexpectedly. But, promptly covering the 
savages with their guns, they succeeded in getting into the house 
and barricading the doors. The Indians, disappointed in 'their first 
object, proceeded at once to round up the oxen, killed them in sight 
of the besieged, built up fires and went into regular camp. They 
coolly barbecued their stolen meat and engaged in a great feast. 
The stage going west came by after dark and carried the intelligence 
to Johnson's Station. As Johnson's Station depended on this water- 
hole for its supply, some plan had to be devised to drive away 
the redskins, for it was seventy miles to the next watering place 
and the station would have to be abandoned if the stock had to be 
driven so far. 



10 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

I obtained a wagon that belonged to the mail line and, wiih several 
men, immediately started for the captured water-hole, determined 
to regain possession of it, if possible, but hoping that the marauders 
had left the neighborhood. It was dark when we reached a point 
that overlooked the spot. We perceived the camp-fires still burning 
bright, for the Indians were yet feasting as if they had been starved 
for a v/eek. 

I determined to make an effort at once to regain this valuable 
property. Indians are both superstitious and timorous when any 
strange, unusual expedient is employed to frighten them. As noise- 
lessly as practicable we drove the team to within a few hundred yards 
of the feasting warriors, rioting in fancied security. I then had the men 
make a great uproar by shouting loudly and rattling the empty 
water barrels while driving at a gallop directly by their camp toward 
the storehouse. 

Catching the sound of this unearthly hubbub largely multiplied,, 
doubtless, by their excited imaginations, they became so much alarm- 
ed that they hastily smothered their camp-fires with wet blankets. Our 
little party soon reached the house. Ordering the noise to be kept up, 
I took one of the men and began skirmishing around their camp to- 
produce the impression of numbers and make them believe they 
were to be attacked from various points. Before midnight they 
decamped, to tell to their squaws and papooses probably ever after 
miraculous stories of their mysterious night attack. 

In a few days I returned to Burnet to attend to my official duties 
as county surveyor. I proceeded to survey some lands in the cedar 
hills of the county ten miles northward. While busily engaged in 
this work fifteen wandering Indians crossed the river and entered the 
timber where I was working with my assistants. They surprised and 
killed 'an old Scotchman named Robert Adams — the first man slaia 
by savages in the county of Burnet. 

I took up their trail and being reinforced by a party of citizens,, 
followed it promptly, for in Texas, as in Kentucky in early days, 
it was deemed the best policy to follow up the Indians for reprisals 
whenever they made an attack on any one in the settlement. It was 
the custom to send riders toward all points of the compass, sum- 
moning horsemen to meet at some convenient rendezvous, and 
generally within twenty-four hours a large body of armed men were 
on the track of the savages, whom they followed hundreds of miles, 
if necessary. Only such prompt, decisive action could keep them 




DOCTOR MOORE. 



Early friend of Gen. Johnson and Southern sympathizer ; arrested by Federals, confined 
in dungeon, and property confiscated with that of his son's. 



THE TEXAS FRONTIER. 11 

within bounds at all. But this band by hard riding succeeded in 
eluding us. We found the body of Adams much mutilated and 
with head scalped. The Indians seemed to have amused themselves 
by filling his body full of arrows. 

Soon after this event, a band of Indians was followed by a party 
of white men from Llano and San Saba to the west of Burnet. 
These savages crossed the river near whei^ Adams had been killed. 
Early next morning a famous frontiersman, named John Jackson, 
came into Burnet and reported that the Indians were making their 
way toward the town and brought with him a number of arrows 
the redskins had wantonly used in killing colts. Immediately several 
parties left to intercept them. My horse was grazing out in the 
prairie and this caused me to be tardy in leaving the settlement, and 
I found but one man to accompany me, David Hunter, a young 
lawyer of the town. Believing that the Indians would keep in the 
brush on the Shin Oak ridges, I proposed to my companion that 
we should endeaver to head them oti", and in advance of the parties 
who had left Burnet before us but who had taken more circuitous 
routes. Just as we had discovered the trail, John Moore, Dr. Jack 
McFarland, Captain McKee, Major Eubanks and a sixteen-year-old 
boy, by the name of William Magill, rode up to join us. 

I was put in the lead and, pushing rapidly through the brush, 
in a short time we had reached the brow of a hill overlooking a 
broad prairie. Detecting that our foes had played their favorite 
trick of doubling on their trail, I called to those in the rear to look 
out for a branch-trail. This they readily discovered and soon we 
were upon the Indians, who at once fled, some dodging into the 
chaparral and the best-mounted of them galloping off across the 
prairie toward a high, bushy ridge about a mile away. 

Our whole party dashed away in hot pursuit, but during the 
search for the branch-trail I had fallen to the rear and, to take a 
short cut, I jumped my horse off a high ledge of rock and expected, 
as I was riding a very fleet-footed animal, to soon overtake those 
who had gotten the start; but, to my chagrin and astonishment, I 
soon found that I was losing instead of gaining ground. I did not 
discover the cause of this mishap until my racer had reached the 
bottom of the ridge, and, leaping a stream, had started up the hill, 
when I ascertained that the saddle, slipping, had been too far 
forward on the withers of my unlucky steed, which was thus badly 
handicapped through no fault of his own. 



12 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

The saddle being readjusted, like an arrow released from a bow- 
string, my spirited horse darted forward and quickly reached the 
head of the pursuing party. 

Coming up with the savages on the top of the hill, I opened fire, 
killing one instantl}^ Rushing on, I was about to shoot another 
when I discovered it was a woman before me, as she raised her hands 
and exclaimed: "Me squaw!" 

An instinctive repugTiance to killing a woman caused me to lower 
my gun. But the boy, Billy Magill, suddenly fired and killed her, 
saying she had no business to be in the gang, carrying an extra sup- 
ply of bows and arrows. Though I would not myself shoot her, 1 
regarded her as one of the leaders of this band. Of course the very 
idea of slaying a woman is horrible, but the squaw unsexes herself 
in these raids, and will not only shoot, but mutilate victims; while 
in their camps and towns of huts, God pity the poor white captive 
brought in by the braves, as she and the children will take the great- 
est delight in torturing him slowly to death while they are dancing 
around him, abusing and deriding him like fiends as he begs for in- 
stant death. 

The delay caused by this episode had given the third Indian, in. 
our immediate vicinity, an opportunity to flee out of sight. But 
pursuing his trail, I soon tracked him to the brush. It required re- 
doubled caution to follow on horseback a savage in the dense thicket, 
as much his natural element as water is that of a fish. The brav- 
est Indian thinks it rash to fight in the clear if he has 
any chance to bushwhack or to draw his prey into cover. He does 
not expose his person if he can possibly accomplish his purpose 
otherwise. This friendly shelter gave the redskin a chance to glide 
away unobserved to another high, bushy knob. But I soon saw 
him, and circling around the glade, made an effort to cut him off. 
Hunter, having circled the first knob, and catching sight of him, 
made a rush straight for the Indian, who placed his back against 
the rocky ledge, and thus suddenly brought to bay, seemed deter- 
mined to fight to the death. 

Not waiting for his antagonist's fire, he began to shoot, with great 
rapidity, his arrows at Hunter, whose horse, sniffing the picric odor 
emanating from the savage's sweating body, became so unmanage- 
able and pranced about at such a lively rate as to nullify his master's 
aim. The Indian perceiving me approaching, now sprang on top 
of the rock, whence he rained down arrows upon his new combatant, 



THE TEXAS FROXTIER. 13 

one of which struck me upon the nose, bringing "first blood," just 
as I fired. Receiving a number of buckshot in his leg and body he 
turned and plunged into the brush, absolutely disappearing in the 
dense woods, doubtless thinking it was unfair for his foe to fire 
so many missiles at one time while he could fire but one. 

The next day's search found him in the thicket with his \\-ounded 
leg buried in a hole which he had laboriously dug into the fresh 
earth to stop the flow of blood, an effective expedient his better edu- 
cated antagonists would never have thought of, but which this un- 
sophisticated child of Nature had probably been acquainted with from 
his babyhood. 

Though the Indian has not the courage of the pale-face in battle, 
he is superior to him in stoical, quiet endurance of pain, and it is 
pathetic to think how patiently through the rest of the day on which 
he ^\•as wounded, and all through the long lonely hours of the night, 
clear to the time he was discovered in the morning, he had borne 
the pain of his wounds with the added mental torture through fear 
that he would be caught sooner or later in this trap, from which he 
well knew he could not extricate himself, if detected by his persistent 
foes. 

The poor creature's apprehensions were realized; he asked for no 
quarter, but tried to shoot the whites as they came up ; he was mer- 
cilessly " shot to pieces." To these pioneers, who were constantly 
attacked by the red devils, as they were denominated, this deed, 
which seems cruel to others, was a mere matter of course. 

The frontier now seemed to be swarming with Indians, of whom 
the gang just mentioned was the advance-guard. Whole families 
were murdered and scalped; many of the settlers deserted the coun- 
try, fleeing as from a pestilence; while others, to use a significant 
phrase of those exciting times, ''forted up." 

The people charged Governor Runnels with inefficiency and neg- 
lect. 

Lieutenant Governor Lubbock, who had been elected at the same 
time, was making a campaign through these threatened regions and 
was traveling in a buggy with his wife. As he naturally desired some 
frontiersman to accompany him both as guard and guide, I volun- 
teered my services; and from this association sprang a friendship 
that exists to the present time. 

Dangerous as matters now were, it was nevertheless absolutely 
necessary to keep up the regular supplies on the plains; and so after 



14 THE PARTI S AX RAX GERS. 

this last adventure I started with a loaded wagon for the Overland 
Mail Line. Upon reaching the San Saba river and finding it had been 
greatly swollen by recent rains, and it being necessary to cross this 
turbulent tide, I fastened ropes around the wagon tongue and then 
to the horns of the saddles belonging to myself and my one com- 
panion and plunged into the rolling waters. \\'hen the wagon reach- 
ed the main current it was swept do^\'n, and the strain upon the ropes 
broke the girths of our saddles and brought the riders to the ground 
upon the farther shore with a powerful concussion. Seizing one of 
the saddles from ^\■hich a rope ran to the wagon I wound the rope 
securely around a tree; and soon succeeded in floating the vehicle 
near enough to the bank of the river to insure its safety. Carrying 
the contents of the wagon to the shore upon our horses we ere long 
had landed it also, but regretted to ascertain that one of the axles 
had been broken in the catastrophe. \\'e cut down a sapling with 
the ax always carried upon expeditions, and quickly improvising an- 
other axle, rude but sufficient for the time, we \vere presently again 
on our Avay to the plains, having lost comparatively little time from 
what had seemed at first to be a very serious accident. On return- 
ing, I found that two of my men had been killed by the Indians at 
the water-hole and our team had been driven off. 

The stage-drivers and old conductors of the mail line, always glad 
to have company whm they had no regular customers, were in the 
habit of asking me to ride with them. By complying with their de- 
sires I acquired their confidence and friendship, and more than once 
these proved valuable. 

Upon one occasion while making one of these trips, always more 
or less hazardous, a man by the name of McFarland being the driver, 
the conductor's name noA\' forgotten, wd had just reached Pecos river 
when we discovered a large band of Indians moving s^^^iftly toward 
us. McFarland drew his team into one of the short horse-shoe bends 
so frequent on the Pecos river; I called to the conductor to close 
the curtains and to poke his gun out at one place and his pistol at an- 
other, and to make all the noise he could; I was sitting on the box 
with McFarland, both with gun in hand. \\'hen the savages were 
near enough, we ordered them to halt, which was done, and the 
old gray-headed chief, who A\'as \vd\ kno^^'n on the mail line, rode 
forward alone. McFarland, who spoke their language, pleasantly 
told him to send away his men, \v\\\\e I kept him covered w'nh my 
gun and v.'arned him not to stir till his men had left. 



THE TEXAS FRONTIER. 15 

Seeing he had been neatly trapped (the conductor having played 
his role cleverly in making him believe there were several men in- 
side), the chief complied with the demand, and waving his braves 
oft, asked for powder and tobacco. McFarland refused him the 
powder but, giving him some tobacco, told him to follow his men. 
The temptation to shoot down this Indian was almost irresistible, 
lor he was known to have murdered quite a number of men on the 
mail line, but recognizing our numerical weakness, we had to re- 
frain, being glad to get to the station in safety in the face of such 
great odds. 

There were two stations on the mail line known as \'an Horn's 
Well and Eagle Springs at which the Indians were very troublesome 
in constantly stealing and killing stock. The superintendent solicited 
me to take charge of these stations, which I did and sent my brothers, 
Ben and Thomas, to occupy them. 

Soon after, receiving a message from my brother Ben at Van 
Horn's Well as to the continual incursions of the Indians there, I 
took Captain Neil Helm and started for that station. While we were 
eating dinner at the mail station of Leon Water-hole, the Indians sur- 
rounded the herdsman, and would have killed him but for the 
prompt action of Captain Helm, who ran among them firing right 
and left with his six-shooter, killing a horse and wounding one of 
the Indians. A young chief rallied his braves and got between Helm 
and the station. Helm had but one load in his pistol now, but with his 
usual coolness, he reserved his fire, pushing toward the savages, 
pointing his weapon here and there, and thus keeping them at bay, 
until the chief, believing his revolver empty, made a rush at him, 
with uplifted spear. I and some of the station hands were near 
enough to open fire, and the chief falling, the other redskins fell 
back, but carried off the horses and mules belonging to the station. 

Reaching \'an Horn's Well the next evening late, my brother Ben 
and Helm and I went to work to surprise the Indians, if possible. 
Arranging some good dummies to show upon the walls of the cor- 
ral, we left orders for one man to remain within and the others to 
take the stage stock out to graze just at sunrise. Then with Helm 
and my brother Ben, I climbed the mountain to a rocky ledge that 
overlooked the valley and the station. Secreting ourselves among 
the weeds, we rested there quietly till daylight should reveal the 
exact camping spot of the marauders. But carefully looking over the 
country next morning, we failed to discover the object of our search, 



16 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

until the corral gate was opened and the stock had been turned out 
to graze; when we detected seven savages immediately in front of 
us. At the same time about sixteen more were seen crawling down 
the mountain side on the other side of the station. To checkmate 
this unexpected move prompt, decisive action was necessary, as the 
men below were unconscious of their peril I instructed my brother 
and Helm, who had rifles instead of shotguns, to each shoot an In- 
dian, and then to follow me in a charge on the rest. At the report 
of the rifles, followed by these two companions, I rushed upon the 
Indians, and succeeded in getting close enough to wound one of the 
redskins and to kill another, while Ben Johnson and Helm were 
firing upon the fleeing Indians, and at the same time hurrying to- 
ward the station. The savages on the other side made a rapid re- 
treat, probably thinking that they were threatened by a large force. 
Three dead Indians were left upon the ground, and such a salutary 
lesson was impressed upon the minds of the savages by this little 
fight that no further demonstrations were ever again made upon 
this station. 

Returning to the Pecos river, where I had a contract 
with a railroad company to sectionize four hundred sections (six hun- 
dred and forty acres each, hence 256,000 acres in the aggregate), I 
now hoped to settle down to the work of my profession as a sur- 
veyor, especially as in this engagement my remuneration was to be 
one-half, or two hundred sections of good land. 

But I seem not to have been destined yet to a life of quietude and 
work. While camping as Escondia Springs, I was joined one 'night 
by two families that were on their way to California from old Vir- 
ginia. They reported that they had seen a large body of Indians just 
about sundown. Knowing that the band would visit the springs, a 
common camping ground, in fact, I immediately removed my little 
party to a rocky ridge that was at a convenient distance from this 
watering place, and advised these travelers to do the same ; but they 
declined, declaring that they had several men in their party and 
could defend their camp at the Springs, and doubtless thinking their 
new acquaintances, the surveyors, were rather timorous. Just be- 
fore day we heard firing in their direction, and taking with me my 
right-hand man, Captain Neil Helm, I went to the aid of the trav- 
elers who had rejected my counsel. I soon discovered that the red- 
skins had already captured one of the wagons and had wounded the 
travelers. Although we estimated the Indians to be fifty strong Helm 



THE TEXAS FRONTIER. 17 

and I determined to try the effect of a diversion on their rear. Cau- 
tiously creeping down a ravine, we came within gunshot before we 
had been observed by the savages who were deeply intent upon the 
murder and pillage of the travelers. Opening a rapid fire upon the 
attacking party, we soon killed three of them and wounded several 
others, when the Indians began a retreat, dismayed by the accurate, 
quick firing cf their new, unseen enemy, whose numbers they must 
have greatly exaggerated. The spunky little Virginia party, embold- 
ened by the action of the two surveyors, now made a quick dash 
upon the robbers and actually recaptured their wagon and horses. 

A few days later while I was running a connecting line to Fort 
Lancaster, and had reached a point within a mile of the San An- 
tonio and El Paso roads, I saw a train of freight wagons camped on 
the road, while a Mexican was herding their teams about half a 
mile away. One hundred and fifty Indians charged down on the 
train, while a part of them surrounded the herd and killed and scalp- 
ed the Mexican and fired on the teamsters and drove them under the 
wagon. I was occupying a spot so elevated, though distant, that 
1 witnessed all this exciting scene. 1 was in the open plain without 
any protection, but as it was a long way to Pecos river, and my 
team consisted of only one yoke of oxen and one horse, I knew I 
could not retreat with safety. Consequently I determined to move 
toward the Indians. Continuing to run my line, I instructed the 
driver to drop the tongue from the oxen and climb into the wagon, 
if the Indians attacked. I told him that by hanging the blankets 
over the side of the wagon I believed he could successfully defend 
himself. The savages, however, riding up and looking at us, and 
concluding that the booty was not sufficiently valuable for the risk 
involved, rode away without molesting us, leaving us with our lit- 
tle two-ox wagon. But they drove off over one hundred mules. 



CHAPTER III. 



INDIAN HOSTILITIES. 



It was in tlie spring' of 1858 when Colonel John S. Ford, better 
known as "Old Rip," came into Burnet with his rangers on his way 
to the Wichita Mountains to fight Indians. I was then preparing to 
go on a surveying trip, but concluded to follow in their rear, as they 
would protect my party. Colonel Ford was very anxious for me 
to g'o with him, partly as a guide and also to strengthen his force, 
but I had work to do on the upper Colorado and across the Divide 
on the waters of the Brazos, in what is now known as Taylor county. 
I declined to accept the proposition. My party was composed of 
my brother Thomas, Neil Helm, Oscar Call and " Doc." Sullivan, 
and with these men I proceeded to Buffalo Gap, which was a famous 
crossing for both Indians and buffalo. Numerous signs were found 
of Indians moving in the same direction as our surveying party, and 
while it was hoped that the rangers had driven them from the coun- 
try, every precaution was taken. We adopted the Indian mode of 
traveling on high ground so as to overlook the valleys, and just be- 
fore Buffalo Gap was reached a fine herd of buffalo was discovered 
in the valley. Thomas Johnson and Helm wdi'd always ready for 
sport, and as fresh meat was needed, permission was given them to 
go down and try to kill some of the splendid animals. Selecting a 
thicket overlooking the valley, I and the others concealed ourselves 
so as to watch for the enemy and be able to give timely warning 
to the two men below. The hunters loaded their guns and took 
their way down a ravine on the windward side of the herd so that 
they would be able to approach them unperceived. Both young 

18 



INDIAN HOSTILITIES. - 19 

men were considered '' crack shots " and felt fully confident that 
they would not come back empty-handed if they succeeded in get- 
ting within rifle-shot of the game. They stealthily approached until 
they were within a hundred yards of the herd, and then both guns 
spoke at once, the two shots bringing down a couple of the huge 
animals, which scrambled to their feet almost immediately and rush- 
ed away with the rest of the herd. The hunters were prepared for 
this and ran back to their horses that were close at hand, hurriedly 
mounted and were in hot pursuit of the madly stampeding herd be- 
fore they could get beyond rifle range. The Texas ponies soon 
oved:ook them and the hunters spurring their steeds up alongside 
the wounded beasts, snatched out their pistols and quickly put fatal 
bullets in their bodies. " Doc." Sullivan had been standing in readi- 
ness with the pack mule and his own horse, watching the mad run 
of hunters and game in the valley below, and as soon as he was 
sure that the buffaloes were dead he took the mule down to bring 
up the meat. I had been an interested spectator of the hunt and 
while intently watching them, my attention was drawn to a clump 
of trees about a hundred yards west of where I was standing, and 
to my surprise three Indians were discovered. They were on their 
horses and were also enjoying the scene in the valley. Knowing the 
danger the hunters were in should these red men charge into the 
valley upon the unsuspecting whites, I called to Call and told him 
that I was going down to help my friends. Call grabbed his saddle, 
ran to his horse, pitched it upon his back, and hurriedly fastened the 
girths, but before he got the bridle on one of the Indians rode for- 
ward with hand up, calling to us, '' Me good Injun; me friend; me 
Tonkawa." As he came nearer we knew by his paint and feathers 
that he was telling the truth. We learned from them that Ford's men 
would cross the Brazos that night, and that they had been sent to 
the Clear Forks of that river on a scouting expedition, and as they 
came stealthily through the country they had discovered a large 
band of Comanches camped near the Gap. They had passed them 
unperceived, and on coming upon the white men they had decided to 
wait until the hunt was finished and then warn them of their danger. 
The Tonkawa, in his original way, said to me : "Comanche see buf- 
falo run. Know white man scare. Follow trail. Find dead buffalo. 
Find pale-face horse trail. Find pale-face camp." 

" Pale-face find good camp over yonder," he said, pointing to- 
ward the Gap. I decided to see it for myself, and giving Call or- 



20 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

ders to bring in the hunting crowd as soon as they had secured the 
meat, followed the red guide's short distance to the place where 
the Tonkawas had camped the night before. It was an ideal place 
for safety — a small cove enclosing about two acres and near the 
top of a hill, which was surrounded by a ledge of rock about four 
feet high. At its mouth was a dense thicket that concealed the en- 
trance to outsiders and served as a hiding place for all the horses. 
I at once saw the advantage of having such a place to spend the 
night, and dismounted, unsaddled my horse, tied him to a tree in 
the thicket, and entered the cove to make any necessary improve- 
ments that would add to our safety. It was not long before Call, 
with the hunters and the other two Indians came in, bringing with 
them an ample supply of meat. The Tonkawas had made their 
usual fire the night before by digging a hole in the ground and 
placing their sticks down in it so as to prevent its red light from 
being seen by their foes and to keep the wind from blowing the coals 
out into the grass while they slept. There was still a bed of red 
coals in the hole, and one of the men was soon busy roasting buffalo 
hump while Call and I cut out the undergrowth and placed it around 
the outer edge to make our abode more secure. Neil Helm was 
sent to a little hill that overlooked the valley to watch for the ap- 
proach of the Comanches, while one of the Tonkawas was dis- 
patched to the Gap as scout. The horses were turned loose in the 
enclosure with their ropes on and everybody set to work to pre- 
pare for the expected attack of the savages. After I was satisfied that 
we had succeeded in making this place one of concealment, the two 
Indians who had been close observers of our movements said "Good. 
Comanche no see now." In less than two hours the scout from the 
Gap came in and told us that the Comanches were on our trail and 
were fast approaching. The horses were secured, guns loaded, pis- 
tols examined, and all stood in readiness for the coming foe. Helm 
was still on the hill near by, but on discovering their first entrance 
into the valley he came into the cove to wait with his friends. As 
the Tonkawas had said, as soon as the Comanches had discovered 
the trail of the pale-faces they mounted and followed it. On locating 
the camp of the whites they began to circle around it, getting nearer 
each time. Those in the thicket counted twenty-seven braves, each 
in his war paint and feathers, with their bows and arrows, and mount- 
ed upon horses that they had stolen from the settlers on one of 
their many raids into the valley. Four or five gathered on a piece 



INDIAN HOSTILITIES. 21 

of high ground about two hundred yards away and Helm bet the 
others he could hit one of them, a big, brawny brave with huge 
feathers in his warlock. The Tonkawa immediately exclaimed: 
"No shoot! No shoot I" But I told him to try his gun and see if 
he could bring him down. Call said he would try, too, and both 
shot, Helm's ball going straight to its mark while Call's took effect 
in a horse. The Comanches gave a yell of rage as one of their 
number fell, and instantly widened their circle and withdrew to the 
Gap, taking with them their dead comrade. They soon disappeared 
in the trees and on the fall of night the Tonkawas went in differ- 
ent directions to scout. It was midnight before they returned and 
reported the good news of the departure of the Comanches toward 
the Wichita. They had evidently received news from their main 
band of the advance of the rangers and had hurried to re-enforce 
their comrades. 

As the country was now apparently clear of hostile 
tribes, I ran a line down on Elm creek in Runnel's county, survey- 
ed the Burnet county school lands, and being out of supplies moved 
on to Fort Chadburn. On reaching there we learned of the fight of 
the rangers on Antelope Hills. As this was one of the most brilliant 
fights during the Indian times it is worthy of mention in this book, 
so that coming generations can read it and see what perils and pri- 
vations existed along the Texas frontier in early days and what 
brave and loyal men their forefathers were. 

The battle of Antelope Hills, fought in 1858, was probably one 
of the most splendid exhibitions of Indian warfare ever enacted on 
Texas soil. This was the immemorial home of a tribe of the Co- 
manches; they had sought refuge here from their marauding ex- 
peditions into Texas and Mexico. Theirs was a veritable city of 
refuge, and should the daring rangers s^ek them they were sure to 
be encountered in full force. Pohebits Quasho (Iron Jacket) was 
the war chief of this place, and had gained his name from the queer 
coat of scale mail that he wore and that had doubtless been taken 
from the body of some unfortunate Spanish knight who had been 
slain perhaps a century before by some of this Indian chief's an- 
cestors. He was a big medicine man and claimed to be invulner- 
able to the balls and shafts of his enemies, as by a few puffs of his 
breath he could divert them from their course and cause them to 
fall harmless at the feet. Peta Nacona, the young and daring hus- 
band of the white girl, Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been cap- 



22 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

tured ten years before by a band of Comanches and never rescued, 
was in command of the braves. 

About the first of May, 1858, Colonel Ford '("Old Rip"), at 
the head of one hundred Texas rangers, comprising such leaders 
as Captain S. P. Ross, W. A. Pitts, Preston, Tankersley, and a 
contingent of one hundred and eleven Tonkawa Indians, command- 
ed by their celebrated chief Placido, so long the faithful and im- 
plicitly-trusted friend of the whites, marched against the marauding 
Comanches, determined to follow them up to their stronghold 
amid the hills of the Canadian river, and, if possible, surprise them 
and inflict a severe and lasting chastisement. 

After a toilsome march of several days the Tonkawa scouts re- 
ported that they were in the immediate vicinity of the Comanche 
encampment. The Comanches, though noted for their sleepless 
vigilance, were unsuspicious of danger; and so unexpected was the 
approach of the rangers that on the day preceding the battle Col- 
onel Ford and Captain Ross stood in the old road from Fort 
Smith to Santa Fe, north of Rio Negro, and watched through their 
glasses the Comanches running bulTalo in the valley still more 
to the north. That night the Tonkawa spies completed the 
hazardous mission of locating definitely the position of the en- 
emy's camp. The next morning (May 12th) the rangers and re- 
serve, or friendly Indians, marched before sunrise to the attack. 

Placido claimed for his red warriors the privilege of wreaking 
vengeance upon their hereditary foes. His request was granted 
and the Tonkawas effected a complete surprise of the village some 
miles south of the main encampment. The struggle was 
short, sharp and sanguinary. The women and children were made 
prisoners, but not a Comanche brave surrendered. Their savage 
pride preferred death to the restraints and humiliations of captiv- 
ity. Not a single warrior escaped to bear the tidings of this de- 
structive engagement to his people. 

A short time after the sun had lighted the tops of the hills, the 
rangers came in full view of the hostile camp pitched in one of 
the picturesque valleys of the Canadian river, and on the oppo- 
site side of the stream in the immediate vicinity of the famous 
Antelope Hills. The panorama thus presented to fhe view of the 
rangers was beautiful in the extreme, and their enthusiasm found 
vent in a shout of exultation which was quickly suppressed by 
Colonel Ford. Just as this moment a solitary Comanche was 



INDIAN HOSTILITIES. 2S 

discovered riding southward, evidently toward the village which 
Placido had so recently destroyed. He was wholly unconscious 
of the nearness of an enemy. Instant pursuit was made; he turned 
and fled full speed toward the main camp across the Canadian, 
closely followed by the rangers. He dashed across the stream, thus 
revealing to his pursuers the locality of a safe ford across the 
miry and almost impassable river. He rushed into the village be- 
yond, sounding the notes of alarm, and soon the Comanche war- 
riors presented a bold front of battle between their women and 
children and the advancing rangers. After a few moments occu- 
pied in forming line of battle both sides were arrayed in full force. 
The friendly Indians were placed on the right and thrown a little 
forward. Colonel Ford's object was to deceive the Comanches 
as to the character of the attacking party and as to the quality of 
arms they possessed. 

Pohebits Quasho, arrayed in all the trappings of his war tog- 
gery — coat of mail, shield, bow, and lance, completed by a head 
dress decorated with feathers and long, red flannel streamers, and 
besmeared with war paint — gaily dashed about on his war horse 
midway of the opposing lines, delivering taunts and challenges to 
the whites. As the old chief rode to and fro, a number of rifles 
were discharged at him in point blank range without any effect 
whatever, which seeming immunity from death encouraged his 
warriors, and some of the rangers even asked themselves if old 
Iron Jacket really bore a charmed life. Followed by a few of his 
braves, he now bore down upon the rangers, described a few cir- 
cles, gave a few puft^s of his breath and let fly several arrows at 
Colonel Ford, Captain Ross and Chief Placido, receiving their fire 
without harm. But as he approached the line of Tonkawas, a rifle 
directed by the steady nerve and unerring eye of one of their num- 
ber, Jim Pockmark, brought the Big Medicine to the dust. The 
shot was a mortal one. The fallen chief was immediately sur- 
rounded by his braves, but the spirit of this conjuring Indian had 
taken flight to the happy hunting grounds. 

These incidents occupied but a brief space of time, when the order 
to charge was given; and the rangers rushed to the assault. The 
enthusiastic shouts of the rangers and the triumphant yell of their 
red allies greeted the welcome order. It was responded to by the 
defiant " war whoop " of the Comanches. The shouts of the en- 
raged combatants, the wails of v/Gtfi?en, the piteous cries of terri- 



24 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

fied children, the howling of frightened dogs, the deadly reports 
of rifle and revolver, constituted a discord of infernal noises. 

The conflict was sharp and quick — a charge; a momentary ex- 
change of rifle and arrow shots, and a heart-rending wail of dis- 
comfiture and dismay; and the beaten Comanches abandoned their 
lodges and camps to the victors, and began a disorderly retreat. 
But sufficient method was observed to take advantage of each 
grove of timber, each hill and ravine, to make a stand against 
their pursuers, and thus enable the women and children to escape. ^ 
The noise of battle now diverged from a common center like the 
spokes of a wheel, and continued to greet the ear for several hours, 
gradually growing fainter as the pursuers disappeared in the dis- 
tance. 

But another division nuder the vigilant Peta Nacona was soon 
marching through the hills north of the Canadian to the rescue. 
Though ten miles distant, his quick ear caught the first sounds of 
battle, and soon he was riding, with Cynthia Ann by his side, at 
the head of five hundred warriors. 

About one o'clock in the afternoon the last of the rangers re- 
turned from the pursuit of Pohebits Quasho's discomfited braves, 
just in time to anticipate this threatened attack. 

Colonel Ford with two hundred and twenty-one men had fought 
and routed over four hundred Comanches and was now confront- 
ed by a much stronger force, just fresh from their villages. They 
had come to retake their horses, plunder, and prisoners, but did 
not fancy the defiant state of preparations awaiting them in the 
valley, and were only waiting to take advantage of any incautious 
movement of the rangers, when the wily Peta Nacona would spring 
upon them and with one combined desperate effort annihilate the 
whole force. But his antagonist was a soldier of too much sagacity 
to allow any advantage to a vigilant foe. 

The two forces stood contemplating each other for over an 
hour — the Comanches challenging the Tonkawas to single combat; 
but few of them were accepted as they were more expert than the 
friendly Indians. 

Colonel Ford now ordered Placido, with a part of his warriors, 
to advance in the direction of the enemy, and, if possible, draw 
them into the valley, so as to afford the rangers an opportunity to 
charge them. This had the desired effect, and the rangers were 
ready to deliver a charge, when it was discovered that the friendly 



IX DI AN HO ST 1 LIT I EC 25 

Indians had removed the white bandages from their heads because 
they served as targets for the Comanches; consequently, the 
rangers were unable to distinguish friend from foe. This neces- 
sitated the entire withdrawal of the Indians. The Comanches wit- 
nessed these preparations, and noAV commenced to recoil. The 
rangers advanced; the trot, the gallop, the headlong charge — all 
followed in rapid succession. Lieutenant Nelson made a skillful 
movement and struck the enemy's left flank. The Comanches' 
line was broken. A running fight for three or four miles ensued. 
The enemy was driven back wherever he made a stand. The most 
determined resistance was made in a timbered ravine. Here one of 
Flacido's warriors was killed and one of the rangers wounded. The 
Comanches left some dead upon the spot, and had several more 
v.'ounded. After routing them at this point, the rangers continued 
to pursue them for seme distance, intent upon making the women 
and children prisoners; but Peta Nacona, by the exercise of those 
commanding qualities which had often before signalized his con- 
duct on the field, succeeded in covering their retreat and thus allow- 
ing them to escape. It was now about four p. m. Both horses 
and men were entirely exhausted, and Colonel Ford ordered a halt, 
and returned to the village. Brave old Placido and his warriors 
fought like so many demons. It was difficult to restrain them, sq 
anxious were they to wreak vengeance upon the Comanches. Sev- 
enty-five Comanches were killed, and only two rangers killed and 
five wounded. 

The trophies of Pohebits Quasho, including his lance, bow, and 
his celebrated coat of scale mail, head dress and shield, were de- 
posited in the State archives at Austin by Colonel Ford. 

The brave old Chief Placido was assassinated by a party of 
Comanches at the reservation near Fort Sill in the latter part of the 
Civil War between the North and the South. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE SURVEYORS. 



After the battle of Antelope Hills the Indian incursions on our 
frontier seemed to be redoubled, and Major Van Dorn got permis- 
sion from General Twiggs, who was then in command of the Texas 
department, to unite with Captain Ross and a hundred Caddos and 
pursue the Comanches to their headquarters on the Wichita. Both 
Ross and Van Dorn insisted on my going with them as a guide, but 
just at that time I made a contract to locate the school lands of 
Llano and San Saba, and declined to go with them. Again taking 
advantage of this expedition to shelter my party, I gathered my 
company, consisting of Oscar Call, Thomas Johnson, James O. 
Norred, "Doc" Sullivan, and one of the San Saba county com- 
missioners named Hall, better known on the frontier as "Beardy" 
Hall, a name given by his friends on account of a huge black 
beard that flowed nearly to his waist. This little band, follow- 
ing in Van Dorn's rear, pushed on toward the plains, it being al- 
most a duplicate of the expedition of a few months previous. 
When we reached the mail line, I left Norred there to take charge 
of the Mail Station and continued to journey to the North Con- 
cho and located the school lands in what is now known as Tom 
Green county, and almost in sight of the present town of San 
Angelo. We then moved on to Great Creek some fifteen miles 
further west, and worked on up that stream beyond its head. 
North Concho, Great Creek, and the Colorado River head west- 
ward, almost parallel with each other, and about fiften miles apart. 
We had about completed our work, by running a line about five 

26 



THE SURVEYORS. 27 

miles west, thence south two miles to the top of a tall peak, 
thence east on the south side of a divide between Great Creek and 
North Concho. While running down this east line, I discov- 
ered a large pool of water in a deep ravine at the foot of a hill 
about a half mile from our lines. As was my habit, 1 took a 
mental note of the conditions there and thought that it would be a 
good place to retreat to in case of danger. In running our clos- 
ing line north to Great creek we found an error which made 
it necessary to go back and run the line over to the tall peak where 
-^^e had made observation. It was about noon when Call and 
Neil Helm went west again to make the connection. The whole 
country here was without brush and open at that time. 

I was figuring up my field notes preparatory to starting home, 
when some of the men saw Call coming back at full speed wav- 
ing his hands above his head in a wild, excited way, and all knew 
that it meant some new danger, and hastily saddled their horses 
and held themselves in readiness to meet the emergency. As he 
came galloping up to the waiting group. Call cried excitedly that 
they had sighted a band of a hundred and fifty Indians — Sattan- 
ta's band, he thought — driving a number of mules and horses 
northward toward the Colorado River, and that they had discovered 
our " sign " where we were running our line toward the peak and 
had stopped and were examining it. He had left Helm to watch 
them and hurried back to report. We got everything together to 
move on a moment's notice, as we were in an open country without 
any protection. Shortly afterwards Helm came in and told us 
that a hundred of the Indians had taken our trail on the south side 
of the divide and were riding at full speed, and he thought they 
would reach our camp in about thirty minutes. Thomas Johnson, 
'•' Beardy " Hall and I were well mounted, but Call, Sullivan and 
Helm were riding animals that could not be depended on in a race. 
I at once determined to get to the " Big Pool " under the side of the 
hill, and gave Call, Sullivan and Helm orders to take our old trail 
westward directly toward the spot where the savages were first 
seen, and when they got to a certain flat rock to turn off to the 
left and make for the ''Big Pool," while Hall, Thomas Johnson 
and I would follow the trail and cover their retreat. These three 
were riding large, well-shod horses, and I believed that we could 
outrun the Indians in case of pursuit, and by circling around until 
after dark we could throw the Indians otf the trail and get into 



28 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

the draw or canyon of the "Big Pool" without discovery. The 
ruse succeeded; riding in advance, I saw, on reaching the top of 
the dividing ridge that the band of Indians left with the mules and 
horses had gone on toward the Colorado river, and far in the 
distance in the rear I could tell by the rising dust that the others 
were still rapidly following in the rear of our party. Turning again 
southward on our line toward the peak, which was now beaten to 
a plain path by the band of Indians that had passed over it a short 
time before, we continued our course to the peak, and as it was 
now thoroughly dark we climbed to the top of this rise without 
fear of discovery; then turning eastward on our line, we kept in 
until near the " Big Pool;" then dropping oflf one at a time, we made 
a circuit and had all come together at the " Big Pool " by nine 
o'clock. One man was placed on guard and the rest slept with 
their bridles in hand. Just at daylight I made a survey with my field 
glass and discovered an Indian on the peak. In a few minutes 
others appeared until there were eleven. These sharp-eyed men 
of the woods made a careful inspection of the country, and finding 
nothing to excite their suspicion, soon after sunrise took the trail 
northward to join their comrades. 

With Hall and brother Thomas I returned to the line after break- 
fast to make the connection. Call, Helm and Sullivan went back 
to our old camp on the creek and we were all together again at 
noon, and preparations were made for our immediate return home. 

This was one of the occasions in which quick decision and 
constant watchfulness had saved us from serious disaster. Had 
we undertaken to ride toward the Colorado, three of the little 
company would have been in great danger of being overtaken and 
murdered by the savages, as they were so poorly mounted, and 
as I would not have deserted my friends, it is probable that in trying 
to rescue them from the Indians the whole party would have been 
killed since the odds were so great against us. 

James O. Norred is the only one that went out on that expedition 
with me who is now living. His present home is in Burnet county. 

As Fort Chadburn was again in our route home, we stopped 
there and heard of the battle of Wichita, in which both Ross and 
Van Dorn were seriously wounded. There were several others in 
the fight who figured largely in the Civil War, prominent among 
whom was Lieutenant Majors, afterwards General Majors. 
Wallace says: *' This was the battle of Wichita Mountains, a hotly 



THE SURVEYORS. 29 

icontesled and most desperate hand-to-hand fight ' in which the two 
.gallant and dashing young officers, Ross and Van Dorn, were 
severely wounded. The loss of the whites was five killed and 
:several wounded. The loss of the Comanches was eighty or ninety 
warriors killed, many wounded, and several captured, besides all 
their horses, camp equipage, supplies, etc. The return of this vic- 
torious little army was hailed with enthusiastic rejoicing and con- 
gratulation, and the Wichita fight, Van Dorn and Ross, were the 
themes of song and story for many years along the borders and in 
the halls and banqueting rooms of the cities, and the martial music 
of the ' Wichita March ' resounded through the plains of Texas 
wherever the Second Cavalry encamped or rode off on scouts in 
after years." 

We mention this battle as some of its principal participants were 
afterwards conspicuous figures in the Civil War. Van Dorn, Ross 
and Majors did honor to their country's cause as officers in the 
Confederate Army, and there were not three braver '' wearers of the 
gray " in the whole army of the South than these young men who 
had so gallantly defended the homes and loved -ones of the hardy 
pioneers along the Texas frontier, and so unselfishly risked life 
and limb in savage warfare where it took both brains and courage 
"to outwit the stealthy raids of the Indians. " Though Texas's 
heraldic roll glows with the names of Houston, Rusk, Lamar, 
McCulloch, Hays and Chevellier, which illumine the pages of her 
history with an effulgence of glory, she never nurtured on her 
maternal bosom a son of more filial devotion, of more loyal patriot- 
ism, or indomitable will to do or dare, than S. L. Ross, afterwards 
governor of our Lone Star State." 

In the summer of i860 1 had taken charge of two additional 
stations on the Overland Mail Route and was very closely confined 
to my work on the plains. The Indians seemed to have redoubled 
their desire for revenge upon the whites, and were making frequent 
incursions upon the settlements across the line as far down as Burnet 
county. Sattanta with a hundred and fifty Comanches was con- 
stantly passing to and fro between Mexico and the reservations. 

I had received a letter from Captain S. L. Ross, who was stationed 
at Fort Belknap, not far from the mail line, requesting me to join 
him in an expedition against the Indians. I went at once to Fort 
Belknap to confer with Ross upon this onatter, and after a discussion 
of the plans of the trip, had about decided to accompany him when 



30 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

I learned that my team had been captured and two of my men killed 
by the savages at the Mustang Water-hole. This made my presence 
at the station upon the plains imperative, and I immediately returned 
to that place to replace my team and see to other affairs that de- 
manded attention. 

About this time one of the most critical and perilous incidents 
of frontier life occurred. I was at my mail station on the plains 
and had sent my ox team to the head of the Concho for supplies, 
when Charles Ranner, who kept the station of the Pecos, came to 
Johnson's Station on his way to the head of the Concho, also for 
supplies. He insisted upon my going with him very early the next 
morning so as to reach the Concho station before the other wagon 
left on its return trip. We started before day the next morning, 
Ranner riding a little Spanish mule and 1 my famous saddle horse, 
Joe Smith. When within about ten miles of our destination we 
discovered some horses in the road, and believing that the Indians 
had waylaid them, I advised making a detour so as to reach a high 
point that overlooked the road, where the savages had built a 
monument of stone. , An agreement was made between us two 
that if the Indians attacked us we would fasten our animals together 
and tight it out at the monument, but on gaining the high point we 
saw the horses below us without saddles or bridles, although marks 
on their backs showed that they had been ridden. This convinced 
me that the savages were at the Mustang Water-hole, a short distance 
below, but 1 acted upon the rule, '*' Never to turn back until I was 
fully satisfied that it was necessary." Keeping up on the high 
ground we went on till we could overlook the valley where the 
water-hole was, and on discovering that there were no Indians 
there, we pushed rapidly forward on our journey. When within 
a mile and a half of the Concho station we met my wagon loaded 
and on the road. Turning the wagon back toward the station so 
as to get Ranner's supplies, we rode on in advance. Some half 
mile in front of us was a " mot " of timber covering a quarter of 
an acre, the road circling around it. The two mounted men had 
just passed on the opposite side of the wood in full view of the 
station when they heard shouts from the wagon. Fearing that 
something was the matter, we quickly turned back to see. As we 
came in sight of the wagon we discovered about fifty savages 
charging across the prairie toward it. It was one of those perilous 
positions that required immediate and prompt action to save the 



THE SURVEYORS. 31 

lives of the four teamsters, one of these being my brother Thomas. 
The way to the station was open and the horsemen could in all 
probability have escaped, but the thought never crossed my mind 
to abandon my brother under such circumstances; so calling to 
Ranner that we must charge the Indians, we jerked our guns from 
their holsters and dashed at the savages. As they passed the wagon 
I called to my brother to drive into the thicket. The team was 
composed of five yoke of young oxen, and could not be moved 
very rapidly. Had the Indians reached the wagon the oxen would 
have become totally unmanageable. The men with the wagon were 
cool and brave, and getting on each side of the oxen they coaxed 
them as fast as possible toward the thicket. During this time Ranner 
and I were rapidly advancing on the savages. It so happened that 
the old white-haired chief, who was about a hundred yards in front 
of his followers, was well known, as he had taken part in all the 
raids on the mail line. The fact that he would come in contact 
witTi fhe two pale-faces first caused him to halt and the whole band 
followed suit. I at once called to Ranner to ride back to the brush, 
and stopping my horse in front of the Indians determined to make 
a diversion in favor of Ranner should they attempt to charge on 
him. Instead of charging, however, the old chief began to move 
in a circle around me, his braves following close in his rear. I 
was compelled to move along with them in the inner circle. As I 
rode almost abreast with the old chief I remembered Cooper's story 
of the '' Two Admirals," and wondered if I could play the same 
trick that Admiral Jervis did with the French, and rush by and fire 
at the old red man as he passed, feeling confident that my fleet- 
footed horse could circle and get to the thicket before the Indians 
could overtake me. Just about the time that I had fully determined 
to make the attempt loud cries came from the direction of the 
frees, and on turning, it seemed to me that the whole plain below 
the timber was covered with savages. On discovering the presence 
of these other Indians, it was perfectly clear to me that a trap had 
been laid for us. I wheeled my horse and galloped to the wagon. 
Dismounting, I gave orders for the blankets to be spread upon the 
sides and breastwork made of the flour and corn. This was quickly 
done, and feeling that a good fight could be made from this fortress, 
we calmly awaited events. The Indians circling from diflferent 
directions, cencentrated their forces just out of gun-shot range and 
held a council. Neil Helm stepped out into the open, and, leaning 



32 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

his chin upon the muzzle of his long Kentucky ritle, calmly began 
counting them. The others sat in silence watching the young fellow. 
They were startled as he broke the stillness by exclaiming: '' O, 
hell, there's not but a hundred and fifty-one of them." They asked 
him what he intended doing about it. "What am I going to do? 
Why kill the first damned red devil that gets close enough," he 
nonchalantly replied. The Indians, evidently concluding that it 
was best not to attack the wagon and its occupants, turned toward 
the northwest and rode into the woods. I was afraid that on leaving 
our shelter we would be subjected to another attack, so I rode ta 
the top of a ridge where I could see the savages, and watched them 
until they were some miles away; then orders were given ta 
start again for the station, which we reached safely. I always con- 
sidered the little Louisiana Creole, Charlie Ranner, as the hero of 
this occasion, as he had no interest in the wagon and was riding 
a little mule that could not have outrun the savages, and when 
he was ordered to charge them his black eyes flashed brightly and 
his face lit up with a determined look that showed a brave, 
courageous man. The next time I met this young fellow he was 
wearing a captain's uniform in Dick Taylor's army. 

Ross' expedition against the Indians is so well and graphically 
written in Wallace's history that it is given here in detail for the 
purpose of showing the great dangers and trials that the whole 
of the Texas frontier was subjected to. Quite a number of people 
were killed in Burnett, Llano, San Saba, Brown and Lampasas 
counties:- 

" In the autumn of i860 the indomitable and fearless Peta 
Nacona led a raiding party of Comanches through Parker county, 
committing great depredations as they passed through. The loud 
and clamorous cries of the settlers along the frontier for protection 
induced the government to organize and send out a regiment under 
Colonel M. T. Johnson to take the field for public defense. These 
efforts, however, proved of small service. The expedition, though 
of great expense to the State, failed to find an Indian, until returning 
the command was followed by the wily Comanches; their horses 
stampeded at night, and most of the men compelled to reach the 
settlements on foot, under great sufferings and exposure. Captain 
" Sul " Ross was commissioned a captain of rangers by Governor 
Sam Houston, and directed to organize a company of sixty men, 
with orders to repair to Fort Belknap, receive from Colonel Johnson 



THE SURVEYORS. 33 

all government property, as his regiment was disbanded, and take 
the field against the redoubtable Peta Nacona, and afford the frontier 
as much protection as possible with his small force. The necessity 
of vigorous measures soon became so pressing that Captain Ross 
determined to attempt to curb the insolence of these implacable 
foes of Texas by following them into their fastnesses and carrying 
the war into their own homes. General L. S. Ross says : ' As 
1 could take but forty of my men from my post, I requested 
Captain N. G. Evans, in command of the United States troops at 
Camp Cooper, to send me a detachment of the Second Cavalry. 
As we had been previously intimately associated and were good 
friends, he at once sent me a sergeant and twenty well-mounted 
men. My force was still further augmented by some seventy 
volunteer citizens, under the command of the brave old frontiersman. 
Captain Jack Cureton, of Bosque county. These self-sacrificing 
patriots, without the hope of pay or reward, left their defenseless 
homes and families to avenge the sufferings of the frontier people. 
With pack-mules laden with supplies, the expedition started for 
the Indian country. 

"'On the eighteenth of December, i860, while marching up 
Pease river, I had suspicions that Indians were in the vicinity, by 
reason of the buffalo that came running in great numbers from 
the north toward us, and while my command moved in the low 
ground, I visited all neighboring high points to make discoveries. 
On one of these sand hills I found four fresh pony tracks, and 
being satisfied that Indian videttes had just gone, I galloped forward 
about a mile to a higher point, and riding to the top, to my inex- 
pressible surprise, found myself within two hundred yards of a 
Comanche village, located on a small stream winding around the 
base of a hill. It was a most happy circumstance that a piercing 
north wind was blowing, bearing with it clouds of sand, and my 
presence was unobserved and the surprise complete. By signalling 
my men as I stood concealed, they reached me without being dis- 
covered by the Indians, who were busy packing up, preparatory 
to a move. By this time the Indians mounted and moved off north 
across the level plain. My command, with the detachment of the 
Second Cavalry, had outmarched and became separated from the 
citizen command, which left me about sixty men. In making 
disposition for attack, the sergeant and his twenty men were sent 
at a gallop behind a chain of sand hills to encompass them in and 



34 THE PARTISAN RAXGERS. 

cut off their retreat, while, with forty men, I charged. The attack 
was so sudden that a considerable number were killed before they 
could prepare for defense. They fled precipitately right into the 
sergeant and his men. Here they met with a warm reception, and 
finding themselves completely encompassed, every one fled his 
own way and was hotly pursued and hard pressed. 

" ' The chief of the party, Peta Nacona, a noted warrior of great 
repute, with a young girl about fifteen years of age, mounted on 
his horse behind him, and Cynthia Ann Parker, with a girl of 
about two years of age in her arms, and mounted upon a fleet pony, 
fled together, while Lieutenant Tom Killiheir and I pursued them. 
After running about a mile Killiheir ran up beside Cynthia's horse, 
and was in the act of shooting when she held up her child and 
stopped. I kept on after the chief, and about a half a mile further, 
when in about twenty yards of him I fired my pistol, striking the 
girl (whom I supposed to be a man as she rode like one, and only 
her head was visible above the buffalo robe with which she was 
wrapped) near the heart, killing her instantly, and the same ball 
woufd have killed the chief but for his shield which hung down, 
covering his back. When the girl fell from the horse she pulled 
him off' also, but he caught on his feet, and before steadying himself, 
my horse, running at full speed, was very nearly on the top of 
him, when he was struck with an arrow which caused him to fall 
to pitching, and it was with great difficulty that I kept my saddle, 
and in the meantime barely escaped a number of arrows coming 
from the chief's bow. Being at such disadvantage, he would have 
killed me in a few minutes but for a random shot from my pistol 
(while I was clinging to the pommel of my saddle with my left 
hand) , which broke his right arm at the elbow, completely disabling 
him. My horse then became quiet and I shot the chief twice 
through the body, whereupon he deliberately walked to a small 
tree, the only one in sight, and leaning against it, began to sing 
a wild, weird song. At this time my Mexican servant, who had 
once been a captive with the Comanches and spoke their language 
as fluently as his mother tongue, came up, in company with two 
of my met]. I then summoned the chief to surrender, but he 
promptly treated every overture with contempt and signalized this 
declaration with a savage attempt to thrust me with his lance which 
be held in his left hand. I could only look upon him with pity 
and admiration. For, deplorable as was his situation, with no 



I 



THE SURVEYORS. 35 

chance of escape, his party wholly destroyed, his wife and child 
captured in his sight, he was undaunted by the fate that awaited 
him, and as he seemed to prefer death to life, I directed the Mexican 
to end his misery with a charge of buckshot from the gun which 
he carried.' " 

So signal a victory had never before been gained over the fierce 
and warlike Comanches; and never since that fatal December day 
in I860 have they made any military demonstrations at all com- 
mensurate with the fame of their proud campaigns in the past. 
The great Comanche confederacy was forever broken. The incessant 
and sanguinary war which had been waged for more than thirty 
years was now virtually at an end. The blow was a decisive one; 
as sudden and irresistible as a thunder bolt, and as remorseless and 
crushing as the hand of Fate. It was a short but desperate conflict. 
Victory trembled in the balance. A determined charge, accompanied 
by a simultaneeus fire from the solid phalanx of yelling rangers, 
and the Comanches beat a hasty retreat, leaving many dead and 
wounded upon the field. Espying the chief and a chosen few riding 
at full speed, and in a different direction from the other fugitives, 
Ross quickly pursued. The two chiefs engaged in personal 
encounter, in which one must fall. Peta Nacona fell. Most of the 
women and children with a few of the warriors escaped. The 
victory was an incalculable boon to Texas, as it put an end to the 
terrible ravages and murders of the savages, and once more restored 
peace and prosperity to the brave and noble frontiersmen on the 
Texas border. 

Moving on as rapidly as possible toward home after my last 
expedition, I reached San Antonio just in time to get the earliest 
news of Lincoln's election, and that the whole country was in a 
fever-heat. Immediately upon arriving at Burnet, my home for so 
many years, I hastened arrangements to marry the young lady of 
my choice, and on the first day of January, 1861, I was united 
in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Josephine Eastland. My 
business on the plains requiring prompt attention, I and my brother 
Ben now went out together, making our way there unattended. Here 
I ascertained that the Overland Mail Route was to be removed 
from Texas. The drivers and conductors told me that the super- 
intendent intended to leave and take all the property pertaining 
to the line without cancelling his pecuniary obligations to any one. 
A large sum of money was due me, and I determined to have a 



£6 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

full, square, fair settlement with the gentleman " or know the 
reason why." And forthwith I proceeded to make proper prepara- 
tions.. My station-house was composed of heavy rock covered 
with earth, the main room being twenty by thirty feet, and the 
corral was attached to it. Upon the south, joining the larger room, 
was a smaller one which, with the corral, made an angle in which 
the gate opened; and the port-holes of tne building covered this 
angle. With me were four men, upon whose fidelity and courage 
1 could rely — my brothers Benjamin and Thomas, Neil Helm and 
John Barnet. Placing these men in the small room, I awaited in 
the large room the coming of the superintendent, who soon drove 
up, stepped out of his vehicle, and walked into this apartment, 
bringing a valise filled with money. He asked me for his account, 
pretended to examine it, and suddenly burst out with a big, round 
oath, swearing that he would not pay it. But the fellow did not 
kno\y me. He simply regarded me as an hidian fighter. 

Quietly, but firmly, I informed him I would not permit him to 
fake the mules out of the corral until he had paid every cent he 
owed me. 

''How do you intend ijo prevent it, sir?" he demanded; ''I 
have got twenty times your number of men." " True," I responded 
as quietly and firmly as before, " but although you have the odds 
on the outside, I have the odds on the inside. You shall not leave 
the room until you have settled this account, which you know 
to be a just one." 

The prisoner, for such he saw himself, turned pale, hesitated, 
wilted, then answered: "Well, I'll settle,"- and, counting out the 
money, he closed his grip-sack and pleasantly remarked : " Now, 
Johnson, I want to say that you have done the best work of any 
man on the line, and if you will go with me I'll give you the 
best station I have got." 

I declined the proposition, the stock was given up, the over- 
landers going west and I and my men returning to the settlements. 

The main purpose in chronicling the foregoing events is to 
show the school in which I was educated for the important part 
I was to play in a grander theater of action. And it should be 
noted that the majority of my conflicts with the wild, untamable 
savages took place far from the civilized parts of the State, away 
beyond the furthest settlements, and was waged always with vastly 
superior numbers, with absolutely no hope of coming assistance, 



THE SURVEYORS. 37 

and that I and my men were not soldiers, but peaceable citizens who 
were trying to work for an honest, modest living. 

Of course, like many another adventurous young spirit, when 
1 first made my home upon the very confines of civilization and 
barbarism, I rather enjoyed these perilous bouts with the Indian 
warriors; but it is certain that as soon as the novelty of such en- 
counters wore olT.. I would have been more than willing for the 
establishment of amicable relations between the whites and the 
reds in order that I, with my friends, might engage more earnestly 
and continuously in peaceful pursuits. 

I should say that I never fired upon an Indian unless to save 
myself or others, or our property from these murderous, rapacious 
foes; and it is to-day a matter of pardonable and just pride that 
when I was personally present none of my men or stock was ever 
lost, and yet perhaps I was more frequently engaged in battle with 
fhe Indians than any other man upon the plains. 

I may say, too, modestly enough, I trust, that 1 am the only man 
on the lengthy Over-mail Line that has found a place in Bancroft's 
"History of the Western Half of the Hemisphere." My faithful, 
intelligent, fearless, thoroughbred horse, Joe Smith, was equally 
well known along the route from Fort Worth to El Paso. At this 
time I was called by the 0~verlanders "The Young Colonel." 



CHAPTER V. 

FORREST^S SCOUTS. 

When Texas seceded and military companies were forming to 
prevent the threatened invasion of the soil by the Northern soldiery, 
my brothers Ben and Thomas Johnson attached themselves to a 
battery, while my friends Helm and Barnet returned to their native 
States, all having plead with me to remain at home with my newly- 
wedded bride of sixteen summers. 

I gave each of my friends a horse, but did not obey their 
injunction, and made preparations to make my wife comfortable 
and independent for a year at least, and started with Judge Edward 
Youtrease for Kentucky, leaving Ben first lieutenant and Thomas 
sergeant of Wilkes's battery. 

I determined first to pay a visit to my father and mother, in 
Henderson. They were what is known as "Union people." Two 
of my brothers were in the Federal army, and Henderson was 
occupied by Northern troops. Upon my arrival in Bowling Green, 
Kentucky, 1 found quite a number of my old schoolmates and 
friends attached to Graves's battery, which afterward became famous. 
My former companions were delighted to see me after such a long 
absence, and begged me to cast my fortunes with theirs; but I 
declined to join them, and soon resumed my journey to Henderson. 

At Hopkinsville I called upon Colonel Nathan B. Forrest, who 
was in command of the cavalry force at that place!'. He was in 
his private tent with his wife and child, a young boy. Colonel 
Forrest seemed to me to bear a close resemblance to my father. I 
saw at once that he was a man of great and prompt decision. His 



FORREST'S SCOUTS. 39 

muscular, well-proportioned figure, over six feet in height, was 
indicative of extraordinary physical strength. But it struck me that 
his most wonderful feature was his piercing blue eye which flashed 
and changed so rapidly with every emotion that it was difficult 
to distinguish its true color. He was a man to catch the look and 
hold the attention of the most casual observer, and as we gazed 
on each other I felt that he was a born leader and one that I would 
be willing to follow. 

As I entered he gave me a keen, searching glance and asked: 
" Well, sir, what do you want ? " 

*' I want to join the cavalry," I replied. 

" I have plenty of room for you and many more besides," he 
answered. " Where are you from," he asked. 

*' I am from Texas," I said. 

''What have you been doing out there? " 

" I have been surveying and fighting the Indians," I answered. 

"Well, sir, I should hke to have you with me," he exclaimed. 
*' One of my companies is from Texas, and you may go in with 
it if you wish." 

*' I should like to make two conditions. Colonel," I said in 
answer to this statement. 

" What are they ? " he asked quickly. 

" First, I should like to serve as a scout." 

"Well, I have plenty of use for you in that line," he said. 
^' What is the other condition ? " 

" I wish to go to Henderson, Kentucky," I responded. 

" I want to go there, too, and we will go together," he said. 
*' You can look around, then meet me here again promptly at two 
o'clock. I wish you to meet a young man who has just come from the 
front, where he has been killing Yankees. If you can equal him 
as a scout_I will have a good team," he concluded, with a broad 
smile. 

I departed for the headquarters of the Texas company. 
Captain Gould was absent, and Lieutenant Jamison was in com- 
mand. He invited me to his quarters and offered me a place in 
his mess if I would join his company. 

The whole command was very comfortably fixed with good 
floored tents and good beds, while their commissary department 
was most abundantly supplied. I got an excellent dinner. Every 
one was discussing the merits of Forrest's young scout. They told 



40 - THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

me that he had come in that morning with some Yankee caps, 
sabres, guns, etc.; that he said he had killed two Yankee pickets 
and these things belonged to their equipment. Few of the company 
believed the story, and some of them even thought he was a 
Yankee spy. Promptly at two o'clock 1 was at the Colonel's tent. 

The young scout, Bob Martin, was already there; and I met 
for the first time a man who all through the war was to be my 
constant companion and with me in many perilous, personal adven- 
tures. He was over six feet in height, and although somewhat 
slender, possessed a well-knit figure. His hair was brown, his eyes 
a light blue, the pupils of which would greatly expand, thus enabling 
him to see pretty well in the dark. He had a genial, happy face 
withal; and a smile like sunshine. There was nothing in his outward 
appearance that bespoke the wonderful courage and daring that 
he continually displayed during the ensuing years of the war. 

We scanned each other with a close scrutiny, and were mutually 
pleased. We had no time to parley, for Forrest gave us immediate 
work. Turning to Martin, he said: "Now, Bob, I want you to 
start at once for Greenville. Johnson will go with you; and if 
you learn anything he can come back and report. I'll not be very 
far behind you, and you'll find me on the main road. Go into 
camp now, get your rations and start right out." 

In a short time we were on the road to Greenville. Martin's 
parents living in the vicinity, he detennined to visit his home, and 
wanted me to accompany him. But I preferred to remain to meet 
Colonel Forrest if he came up. It was late in the afternoon, and I 
passed the remainder of the day in ascertaining where supplies for 
cavalry could be obtained, leaving the impression that they were for 
the Federal cavalry under Jackson. Next morning early Martin 
rejoined me and we started back, meeting Forrest in the road a few 
miles out. When informed that provisions and forage were to 
be had, and the country was clear of the enemy, Forrest determined 
to go into the town with his little force. 

A long march over the rough, muddy roads required a short 
rest for the men and horses, but Martin and I were ordered to move 
down the road to Rumsey, ascertain the movements of the Federals, 
and report the results of our observations. Pushing forward, when 
we reached Rumsey we ascertained that the enemy had built a 
pontoon bridge and were crossing their cavalry. Thereupon, I 
returned to report to Colonel Forrest, while Martin remained in 
the vicinity to observe the movements of the enemy. 




COLONEL ROBERT M. MARTIN. 



FORREST'S SCOUTS' 41 

I met Forrest on the road beyond the little town of Sacramento, 
and the Colonel hurried forward his regiment, determined to attack 
them. The news that the Federals were not far away, and that 
a combat was imminent seemed to send a thrill of pleasure through 
the entire command, for these young warriors already felt in 
anticipation " the rapture of the fight." When the order " Gallop ! " 
was given, the men who rode the fleetest steeds impetuously 
crowded to the front. As I looked back at this confused body of 
riders, each rushing to meet the foe first, a fearful, sickening 
dread came over me which I well recall to this day, and I almost 
presumed to call Forrest's attention to this disorderly mass of men 
galloping pell mell at break-neck speed, when suddenly there came 
into view a young woman on a bare-back horse, wildly dashing 
up, frantically waving her hat, while her long hair was flying in 
the wind like a pennant, and her cheeks were afire with excitement 
as she exclaimed : " There the Yankees are ! Right over there ! " 
pointing back over the hill whence she had just galloped. 

Forrest, not checking his horse in the least, shouted : " Johnson, 
go and see right where they are." 

Letting my eager animal have the reins, I was soon up with the 
two advanced videttes of Forrest's regiment. They were fortu- 
nately riding good horses and at my word increased their speed. 
Observing a high point on one side of the road not far in advance, 
I rode up to its summit and spied just over the crest of the hill a 
large body of cavalry drawn up in a V-shape and a small platoon 
stationed in the road in advance of the main force. 

I rode back rapidly to Colonel Forrest with this information; 
he was trying to persuade the brave girl, who was riding by his 
side, to retire. 

I, of course, expected him to halt his disorderly men and order 
a proper formation to make battle. But this fiery leader, without 
checking his charger, galloped on until he had reached the videttes, 
whom I had left on the hill-top to watch the enemy, now quite 
close to them. Jerking his gun out of the hands of one of them, 
and without a moment's hesitation, he fired at the Federals. The 
Confederates in his rear gave " the wild Rebel yell," and the Yankee 
advance-guard fled back to their command. From his post of 
observation Forrest could plainly see the great odds which he was 
so eager to attack, but, undisturbed, he halted his men right in 
face of the enemy and ordered his captains to reform their com- 
panies. Under less serious circumstances this would have seemed 



42 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

altogether ludicrous; as the captains rode to the right and the left 
commanding their men to form around them, not one of them 
succeeded in collecting more than a dozen or two men out of the con- 
fused mass, nearly every fellow seemingly •'' on his own hook." Just 
at this juncture Captain Gould, of the Texas company, coming 
up and hearing the order to form, dashed to the summit of the 
hill immediately in the front of the astounded Federals, and shouted 
in his deep sonorous voice : *'' All you Texas boys rally round 
your leader." 

Gould had more men to the front because his company had the 
best horses, and as they rushed ahead to " rally round their leader," 
the Federals likely could see their peculiar saddles and so perhaps 
concluded that not only Forrest's regiment was in their front, but 
the entire regiment of the Texas rangers. At any rate, they began 
to fall back in disorder, and Forrest throwing out flankers, both 
right and left, adopting thus in his very first fight those tactics 
which he afterwards made so formidable, swept down like an 
avalanche upon the Federals now in almost as much disorder as 
his men had lately been. 

" The Southerners, led by this impetuous chieftain, swooped down 
upon their foes with such terrific yells and sturdy blows as might 
have made them believe a whole army was on them, and turning 
tail, they fled in the wildest terror a panic-stricken mass of men 
and horses, Forrest's men mixed up with them, cutting and shooting 
right and left, and Forrest himself in his fury ignoring all command 
and always in the thickest of the melee. Never in any battle did 
leader play a fiercer individual part than did Forrest on this day. 
With his long arm and long sword, once during the fight and chase 
he was some distance ahead of his m^en, making a pathway as he 
cut and slashed on this side and on that, and the demoralized 
Yankees, looking back and seeing a man whom their excited imag- 
inations doubtless magnified into a veritable giant coming down 
upon them, pressed to either side, thus widening his path into a 
lane. Finally he came up with a man who had been a blacksmith, 
as large as himself, muscular and powerful. While engaged in 
combat with this man, another Federal was in the very act of 
running his sword into Forrest's back, when a timely shot from 
Lieutenant Lane felled this second antagonist. Forrest hewed the 
big man to the ground by a mighty stroke. 

Wildly onward rushed the fieeing and pursuing masses, all in 



FORREST'S SCOUTS. 43 

the most disorderly manner, until again Forrest was engaged in 
an unequal contest with two Federal officers and a private, the 
latter shooting a ball through his collar, and Forrest quieting him 
with a pistol-shot just as the two officers made an attack upon 
him with their swords, which he eluded by bending his supple body 
forward, their weapons only grazing his shoulder. The impetus 
of his horse carrying him a few paces forward, he checked and 
drew him a little to one side and shot one of his antagonists as 
his horse galloped up, and thrust his saber into the other. Severely 
wouhded, both of these officers fell from their steeds, which now 
uncontrolled, sharply collided with each other at full speed, falling 
together over the bottom of an abrupt hillock. Forrest, eager in 
the pursuit, inadvertently rode his horse over these two prostrate 
animals, caus^ing him to fall and his rider to dart ten feet over 
his head. Seeing Forrest down, and fearing he had been shot, I 
leaped my horse over the fallen horses just in time to see him 
spring to his feet and call out : " Johnson, catch me a horse ! " 
His own horse was badly crippled. Catching one that came plunging 
down the road, I handed him the bridle, but the saddle did not suit 
him, and while he was getting his own saddle his men gradually 
withdrew from the pursuit. 

After the defeat of this cavalry force I was ordered forward to 
reconnoiter, and gathering up a few men on the way, I pushed for- 
ward to the top of the ridge where 1 could observe the road for 
some distance; finding it clear, 1 left the men there as a guard and 
rode back to Colonel Forrest. There 1 found Martin relating in 
high glee the role he had played in the late tragedy. He was 
leading a horse and had his belt full of pistols. 

"Hello, Bob; what have you been doing?" I asked him as I 
rode up. 

" I've been trying to get even with a fellow that stole my horse — 
old Beauregard," he replied laughingly, meaning the high-headed, 
slender-limbed gray horse he had lost. 
, "What success?" 

" Well, here is his horse, this is his pistol, and this is his gun," 
he said as he smiled. 

" What became of the Yank ? " I inquired. 
- " I left him over yonder in that strip of woods you see to the 
left of that road," he replied. 

Collecting the guns which the Federals had thrown away, 
Forrest returned to Hopkinsville. 



CHAPTER VI. 



SKIRMISHES AND CAPTURES. 



Martin and I received peremptory orders to cross Green river and 
find out, if possible, tlie movements of the enemy. Saddling our 
horses, we were quickly on the road and that night reached John 
Coyle's, who was then sheritT of Hopkins county and was one 
of the truest and best Southern men in the country. We learned 
from him that all the boats on Green river had been destroyed 
except the ferry between Henderson and Owensboro, but that a 
negro had caught the hull of a ferry boat and had concealed it 
opposite Rudy's farm. I here found that my horse had not recovered 
from his hard ride from Henderson and exchanged with Coyle for 
a strong-limbed, high-bred but vicious mare that he could not work. 
I saddled her, and Martin and I again set out. Reaching the river, 
we found the negro and induced him to ferry us over. It was difficult 
work: the river was out of its banks and our two horses and our- 
selves made all the load the boat could bear. But we got over safe 
and arrived at Rudy's house just at dark. This was another good 
Southern man. We learned from him that Colonel Jim Jackson 
had passed down that evening to Owensboro and would return- 
in the morning. There were five in the party, but Martin and I 
determined to try to kill or capture them. At the same time Rudy 
agreed to go to a neighbor, whose son was in the Federal army 
and was then at home, and ascertain whether they were expecting 
to move. All this was accomplished during the night and the negro 
was sent into Owensboro to watch Jackson's movements. It was 
nearly noon when the negro returned, and informed us that Jackson 
had returned to the army by a diiferent road. Disappointed in 

44 



SKIRMISHES AND CAPTURES. 45 

this scheme, we went over to little John McFarland's where there 
were two handsome girls, of whom Martin was very fond. While 
getting something to eat, they told us that a young man from 
Owensboro had captured one of Jackson's cavalry horses at Willis 
Field's, one of their neighbors, and had gone south, and that it 
had created a good deal of excitement in that neighborhood. Being 
informed at the same time that Jackson had a large number of 
horses at Field's, I took Martin aside and told him I thought we 
could play the same trick on Field that Sergeant McDonald played 
on the old Tory in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. 
This delighted Martin, and going to the house I borrowed some 
paper from the young ladies and wrote out a requisition on Willis 
Field for six cavalry horses and signed it '' Thos. Crittenden, Major- 
General Commanding." This looked so artistic when I finished it 
that I concluded to draw another one for twelve horses. Putting 
the requisitions in my pocket, Martin and I rode away in a different 
direction from Field's until we were out of sight, then skirted the 
farm and continued in a gallop until we reached his home. Martin 
had agreed to act as sergeant and I as Lieutenant Johnson, per- 
sonating my brother who was with Crittenden. Leaving Martin 
to hold [he horses, I entered the house, introduced myself and told 
my business, and learned that Mr. Field had gone to headquarters 
and expected to return soon with a squad of men to drive the 
horses over to camp. In the meantime Mrs. Field invited me to 
stay for supper, and if possible, to remain all night. I accepted the 
first invitation and told her I would have to ride all night under my 
orders. I then went out and explained matters to Martin, and we 
arranged to fight the party who came for the horses, but in the 
meantime I told Martin to get Field's son and negro boy and round 
up the horses, select twelve of the best and put them in the pen. 
This was all promptly done while I was playing Federal lieutenant 
and talking to the young lady, a very pretty girl of about eighteen. 
I had stationed myself near the window where I could see the lane. 
We had placed our guns convenient for use. It was not long 
before Mr. Field made his appearance, riding up the lane alone. 
I felt very much relieved, but Martin seemed disappointed, and 
I think he had rather had a fight than to have captured the horses. 
When Field reached the house I told him my mission, and after 
much persuasion I got him to let his boy and negro help us to the 
Henderson ferry. Thereupon, I made my requisition for the twelve 



46 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

horses. As our road would lie through the swamp, it was necessary 
to lead the horses, and how to do this was a problern. Miss Field, 
however, came to our relief and proposed that we take her bed 
down and use the cord. To this I demurred, but she insisted that 
she wanted to do something for the government. The cord was pro- 
cured and the horses were all " tailed," as we call it in Texas, three 
to each one of the saddle horses; after which we were called to 
an elegant supper, Martin sitting on one side of the lady of the 
house and I on the other. When she said : " Lieutenant, don't 
you think one of those rascally rebels came here and stole one 
of these horses out of the pasture, and these Secesh around here 
say it was not stealing; it was only 'pressing!'" I remarked that 
it was not any more than she could expect from people who were 
trying to break up the government. Martin, in the meantime, was 
stuffing his mouth full of biscuit to keep from laughing. We 
hurried through supper, and mounting our horses, pushed for the 
ferry; we knew we had to get across before news of the capturing 
of the horses had reached that point. At early dawn we arrived 
at the river just below the ferry, and being very cold and hungry, 
we stopped long enough to get breakfast and feed the horses. We 
found there a young man who was a soldier in Jackson's cavalry 
and who recognized some of the horses that belonged to his com- 
pany. He helped us to the ferry and across the river. Here Martin 
and I had to take charge of all the horses; placing him in front, I 
brought up the rear and drove the loose horses after 
him. In this way we reached Hopkinsville in safety. 
When General Clark heard of our exploit he ordered Major 
Servesson to pay us full value for the horses. 

Next morning after we left Mr. Field's, Mrs. Field 
went over to Mrs. McFarland's to boast of our visit, and 
told the McFarland girls she wished they could have 
been over at her house that night so she could have intro- 
duced them to two of the nicest young men they ever saw, and 
that if the rebel army had two such young men in it she would 
have more respect for it. Two days later Mr. Field went to Crit- 
tenden's quarters and inquired of him if he had heard how they 
liked the horses that he had sent to Henderson. General Crittenden 
exclaimed: "What horses?" Field replied: "The horses that 
were sent to stand picket." Crittenden then asked his adjutant if 
he knew anything about such an order. He said he did not, and 



SKIRMISHES AND CAPTURES. • 47 

did not ' think any such order had been given. Field exclaimed : 
''Oh, yes; I have the requisition here in my pocket," pulling it 
out and handing it to General Crittenden, who, as soon as he looked 
at it, burst out laughing and told Field he had been sold out. Field 
was much frightened, but the General laughed at him and restored 
his good humor. But the story soon got abroad, and then Mrs. 
McFarland had her inning. Meeting Mrs. Field, she asked her 
what she thought of "the two nice young men," and was quickly 
answered that *' they were like all the rest of the rebel army — 
nothing but a set of horse thieves." 

As Forrest's horses were in such a condition that he could not 
undertake the expedition to Henderson without a rest of two days, 
and being too impatient to see my parents to brook such a delay, 
I set Dut in a buggy with one of my old schoolmates who lived 
there. When we arrived at a point about five miles from the town 
we stopped at Mrs. Jordan's for dinner, and there I left my gun 
and baggage, the family being old friends of mine and also strong 
Southern sympathizers. 



CHAPTER VII. 



AT THE OLD HOME. 



We entered Henderson without interruption, and after five or 
six years' absence, I was soon in the arms of my dear mother, whose 
loving heart no difference of political sentiment could estrange. Both 
my mother and sister shed tears of joy over my safe return, but 
their happiness was clouded by the alarm they began to feel for 
my safety, as there was a Federal force occupying the town. 
Assuring them that they need entertain no anxiety on my account, 
as I would be prudent, I left, telling them that I was going to pay 
my respects to Colonel Cruff, the commander of the military post 
I thought I might succeed in gathering news of some importance at 
his headquarters. 

Introducing myself as the son of Dr. Thomas Johnson, I informed 
Colonel Cruff that I had two brothers in the Federal army, General 
Crittenden's command, whom 1 was very anxious to see, as I had 
been living in Texas for some years, and asked him to aid me in 
meeting them. 

Fortunately there happened to be several of my old schoolmates 
in the room, who corroborated my story by greeting me with a 
warm handshake and a hearty welcome. 

The colonel was doubtless satisfied and had no suspicion of my 
being a Confederate, for soon these brothers procured a leave of 
absence and came to see me. We walked and slept and talked freely 
together, there being no concealment on my part as to my military 
connections, and there ensued a brotherly understanding that we 
would do all we could to protect each other during the war. 

48 



1 




W. S. JOHNSON (brother of Gen. A. R. Johnson) 
1st Lieut. 17th Ky. Vol., U. S. A. 



AT THE OLD HOME. 49 

Colonel Holloway, one of my old schoolmates, then in the Federal 
army, gave an entertainment to which I was invited, where I met 
a great many Yankee officers. Many of them were canal and 
flatboat men, and some of them rather tough characters, for the 
first time in their lives in " society." Even now at this distant 
date I am filled with indignation and disgust when I recall how 
such roughs were allowed to associate with the sisters of my old 
friends. For Colonel HoUoway's family I entertained genuine affec- 
tion, for I had spent under their hospitable roof many delightful 
days, and 1 was stung to the quick to see such fellows on familiar 
terms with his family. The swaggering braggadocio of some of 
these fellows inflamed me with a strong desire to meet them hand 
to hand upon the field of battle, and I determined to make that 
opportunity, if possible. Their blustering boasts of what they had 
done and would do to the rebels at the same time disgusted me. 

Of course I could not very long live undisturbed under all the 
circumstances I encountered in Henderson; and ere long I ascer- 
tained that I had become an object of suspicion. I was informed 
by Mr. Phil Mathews (an old and true friend) that he had heard 
a conversation among some of the Union men in the town, and 1 
would be placed under arrest if I did not depart. 

Orders had been issued from military headquarters forbidding any 
one to leave the town of Henderson without procuring a pass, and 
nobody could go outside the lines without a guarantee of loyalty 
to the North. 

The time had now come for me t^ go. The Ohio river being 
very high had flooded Canoe creek and encircled a large portion of the 
town, thus greatly increasing the difficulty of my secretly with- 
drawing, as all the bridges were guarded by soldiers. But I had 
hunted along the banks of this long, winding creek many a time 
in boyhood and well remembered that drifts of old logs, limbs 
of trees and trash used to form places strong enough to cross on; 
and one day went to see if such could still be found. A large body 
of the enemy was posted at the fair grounds in the vicinity of one 
of these old fortuitous bridges, and it was necessary to know exactly 
where their pickets were placed before I essayed escape at that 
point. In making this investigation I approached the spot where I 
had seen the guard standing the day before; but as they had been 
stationed further down the road I came upon the advanced videttes 
unexpectedly and dodged rapidly into the woods, flattering myself 



50 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

I had been too alert and quick to attract their observation; but an 
order to halt undeceived me, and feeling sure I had been discovered, 
I ran as fast as I could to a place where 1 recollected such a crossing 
used to be. Swift of foot, I fancied I could easily outstrip any man 
under the weight of a heavy gun and accoutrements, especially in 
a long distance. So off' I pushed confidently, but was soon surprised 
to hear the cry " Halt! Halt! " coming nearer and nearer. Wishing 
to avoid a fight, which even if favorable to me might result in 
capture by others, probably already on my trail, I redoubled my 
exertions, but observed to my great astonishment that my com- 
petitor in this novel foot-race was still gaining upon me gradually 
but surely. Knowing that the slow pace necessary to get over the 
loose, floating driftway would enable my foe to overtake me, I 
abandoned my original purpose, and seeing a, large oak tree which 
had been torn up by the roots in a recent storm and thrown parallel 
with the creek, leaving a narrow passway, I sprang into this opening 
between the tree and the bluffs of the stream. A pendent branch 
of a dogwood tree at the mouth of this little alley compelled me 
to stoop as I entered. Here I determined to take the chance for 
life and liberty. The green curtain at the doorway of this little 
woodland court trembled in the breeze as if agitated at the immedi- 
ate prospect of a human combat to the death; for nature seems 
often to sympathize with her children in their extremity. On 
followed the Yankee, and like a maddened bull with head down 
he burst into this closed arena, only to receive a pistol bullet into 
his skull. With a cry of pain and a leap into the air he sprang 
over the bluff into the surging waters. 

I returned to the town immediately, believing that if the chase 
had been seen, I should be caught ere 1 had gone far, and so 1 
resolved to put on a brave front. 

It was dangerous to take either horn of the dilemma I was in. 
If the soldiers had tracked me and run me down after hearing my 
pistol shot, they would probably have found the body of their 
comrade and summarily riddled mine with bullets. If I had been 
suspected after my return and the corpse had been found, my 
Union family and friends, with a good lawyer, might have saved 
me from punishment on the plea of self-defense or lack of evidence,, 
and finally might have effected my exchange, if indeed I had not 
profited by some opportunity to escape from prison. 

The next day, Sunday, I accompanied my mother to church. I had 



AT THE OLD HOME. 51 

always paid her this attention before going to the Lone Star State. 
On the route to church a part of the walkway was covered with 
a double row of broad planks. A number of ladies were in advance 
of us and a company of soldiers, coming from an opposite direction, 
marching by twos with locked arms, and keeping step to the 
call of " Hep, hep," forced these ladies off the narrow causeway 
into the mud. All the chivalry and gallantry of my nature and educa- 
tion as a Kentuckian rebelled at this indignity. I was so indignant that 
1 resolved if they jostled my mother 1 would blaze away into the 
column with my revolver; but the leader just then seemed to 
recollect his politeness, and broke the ranks so that they could 
pass by in " Indian file " without compelling mother to step into 
the mud. 

Still exasperated, I exclaimed : " See, mother, what kind of 
men this army is composed of. No Southern soldiers would ever 
have forced ladies off into the mud, and if they had jostled you I 
should certainly have hurt some of them." 

" My goodness, how could you have done it ? " she exclaimed. 
Pulling my coat open I displayed my revolver. " My son," she 
said, "you must leave this town to-night. 

We went on to church, but neither of us probably was edified 
by the services. The moment we got out of the door mother 
again insisted that I must leave the place and go back to the 
Southern army. 

Arriving at home, I observed Colonel Cruff's handsome dappled 
dun horse hitched at a church door immediately opposite the resi- 
dence. Upon opening the gate, I told mother that I must bid her 
good bye then and there, for I had concluded to take her advice 
and was resolved to ride away on the Yankee colonel's beautiful 
charger. My prudent mother ran after me, and throwing her arms 
around my neck, implored me not to do such a rash thing, as 1 
would be followed and killed. She was now joined by my sister,, 
and together they detained me until the old colonel came out and 
mounted his horse. 

But I made up my mind to leave that town mounted upon the 
best horse I could find, in order to distance pursuers and have a 
good animal to ride in Forrest's command. So 1 resolved to attack 
in the evening an orderly sergeant whom I had observed parading 
daily on the back of a splendid gray steed from the fair grounds 
to the hospital. Stationing myself near a deep cut in the road, I 



52. THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

awaited the sergeant's coming. Stepping in front of him, I demanded 
his surrender. But the Yankee prized his fine horse too highly to 
give him up so easily, and turning the animal's head toward the bank 
he spurred him up and onward. The thought flashed across my 
mind that I would soon be surrounded and arrested if this man 
got away, and the next instant my pistol sent a bullet after the 
frightened, fleeing rider. But the gathering darkness defeated my aim, 
much to my surprise and chagrin. Convinced now that my de- 
parture could be delayed no longer, 1 returned home, got a horse 
from one of my brothers and rode rapidly out to Mrs. Jordan's, 
where I had left my things. After a bountiful supper I thanked 
warmly my kind hostess, and mounting my excellent steed (which 
I did not prize, however, as highly as if I had captured him), I 
started in a gallop for Hopkinsville, seventy miles away. 

Reporting the military situation at Henderson to Forrest and 
offering to guide him there for its capture, he consented and ordered 
preparations to be made for the expedition. 

But counter orders having been received from General Albert 
Sidney Johnston for Forrest to hold his command in readiness to 
move to Fort Donelson, I was greatly disappointed, for I had 
anticipated capturing the blue-coats or driving them out of my 
native town. . Instead of this I was dispatched with Martin to go 
behind the enemy's lines across Green river with orders to report 
at Fprt Donelson on Wednesday. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



IX FEDERAL CAMPS. 



Leaving Clarksville on the morning of the twelfth of February, 
one of those bright, balmy days which often heralds the advent 
of spring in this latitude, in the mere exuberance of animal spirits, 
I unconsciously rode my little mare at such a rapid gait that she- 
manifested signs of distress by the time I arrived at the ferry at 
Dover. While waiting for the ferry boat to return to our side of 
the river, a young man came riding up on a stout, spirited white 
horse. I took a fancy to this horse and proposed an exchange, and 
after the usual dickering, the swap was made; a fortunate trade 
for me it soon proved. By the time the boat touched the other 
shore I heard rapid firing ahead and learned that Forrest was 
engaging the enemy beyond our earthworks. Putting spurs to 
my horse, I galloped off in the direction of Fort Henry and soon over- 
took Lieutenant Ed. Rankin, of Graves's battery, who, as we rode 
along together for a short distance, remarked the gaits and color 
of my strong, lively horse. Near where the road crossed our 
breastworks Rankin turned off toward Graves's battery while I 
pushed forward, and two miles further on found Forrest alone in 
the road, sitting upon his horse. He heartily welcomed me and said : 
"Johnson, I am glad you have come;" pointing to the right, he 
continued: ''Ride over there and bring those fellows in; they are 
wasting powder." I galloped over to the detachment, which I 
found consisted of two companies of Gaunt's cavalry who were 
shooting at a body of Federal infantry out of range, but advancing 
rapidly. General Forrest's order was delivered, but I noticed that 

53 



54 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

the head of the Federal column was marching obliquely across our 
front as if they intended to strike the bank of the river below our 
fortifications. 

Observing a first-rate place to ambush the enemy as they passed, 
I persuaded the officer to dismount his men just behind a brushy 
ridge, and lie concealed till they got within a hundred yards of us, 
when I gave the command to fire a volley on them, causing them 
to fall back into the brush in confusion. We then mounted our 
horses and galloped over to where Forrest was still sitting on 
his horse, awaiting us, and talking with Bob Martin. Giving 
Martin and myself orders to watch the enemy, he took command 
of the cavalry and marched into the fortifications. 

Martin told me he had been skirmishing with the enemy all day 
and showed me a beautiful' Maynard rifle he had captured during 
a sharp skirmish that morning. He said he had been trying its 
range across an old field, and while lying down behind a stump 
and firing in his front, a body of infantry had got so nearly on 
him that he had to get up and run at the top of his speed, with 
the bullets pattering all around him. It was not long before we 
noticed the advance-guard of the enemy with a section of artillery 
moving up the road toward us. As soon as they saw us they 
wheeled one of the guns into position and fired a shell that burst 
almost directly over our heads and sent us galloping back toward 
the fort. When we were out of range we selected another 
point of observation, Martin on the hill side to the right of the road 
and I on the left. The Federal batteries were soon near us again, 
and I rode down the main road a hundred yards or so from the 
breastworks and was sitting on my horse waiting for Martin, when 
Captain Graves, seeing me and taking me for a Federal, trained 
one of his guns on me loaded with grapeshot, and was in the act 
of firing when Ed. Rankin, recognizing my white horse, called to 
him not to fire and told him who I was. Just at this time a shell 
from the enemy's gun exploded near Martin's horse, throwing 
rocks and dirt over us both, warning us it was time to seek cover; 
so we dashed away and were soon over the breastwork and out 
of danger. 

We reached Forrest's tent about dark, and after feeding our 
horses and getting supper, he called us aside and said : " Now, 
boys, I want to know just what those fellows are doing. I shall 
go out here to the left while you can make your way in on the 



IN FEDERAL CAMPS. 55 

right and find out just what we can depend on." Leaving Martin 
at the tent, I rode' to Graves's battery and showed him my orders 
to pass through the lines, and left my horse at his quarters; he went 
with me to the advanced vidette, who was walking his beat on the 
bank of the river, and explained to him my mission, telling him 
if he should leave before I came back to notify the relief that 1 
was out. I passed down the bank of the river and moved cau- 
tiously along until I came in sound of the Federal picket, and 
then stealing along inch by inch, I came in sight of the Federal 
advanced vidette, and finding a small ravine, or branch, I slipped into 
it and lay there till I discovered it was the terminus of two beats. 
As the sentinels came together and started back I found the oppor- 
tunity to ^glide in between them. I was wearing a large gray 
traveling shawl, fastened at the throat and hanging low so as ta 
cover my shotgun, yet open in front in such a way that I could 
easily use my gun. ' This was the same little English shotgun 1 
had carried on the plains of Texas and that had never failed me in 
any encounter with the Indians, and I felt sure that if the picket 
discovered me lying on the ground I would be able to get the 
first shot, as being above me his person was clearly defined in the 
skylight, while I was lA'ing close under the bank of the little brook. 
I felt I had every advantage, and as it was only a short distance 
to the river bank, I could soon be out of danger and within our lines 
in case of alarm. The little ravine ran in a diagonal direction and 
carried me beyond their picket base. 1 felt secure and rose to my 
feet and walked with confidence through the brush until I saw 
the officers' tent with a fire in front; 1 made my way to within 
a few feet of the rear of the tent, and screening myself in the 
underbrush, I had a clear view of the surroundings. Many horses 
were picketed in the vicinity which made me believe I was at some 
important headquarters. Several ofllcers coming out of that tent 
and walking to the fire, I was confirmed in this impression, and others 
riding up and dismounting and joining in the conversation, I was 
satisfied I had found the right place. Pretty soon 
some one coming hastily through the brush and walk- 
ing up to where the officers were collected, exclaimed: 
"Well, Colonel, I have found that the enemy's pickets 
are a very little way this side of the abattis." A general 
conversation ensued, and among other things, one of the officers 
remarked : " If they don't do any better fighting than they did 



56 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

at Fort Henry to-day we'll be in their breastworks before sunup.'' 
Then the officer who seemed to be in command, whom I have 
always supposed to be General Smith, asked if they had distributed 
the ammunition as had been directed. Believing that I had now 
obtained valuable information and that an assault was intended, I 
made, my way back as 1 had come, and getting my horse, I arrived 
at Colonel's Forrest's quarters. He dressed instantly and we went 
to report to General Pillow. 1 did not stop to reflect at that time 
that it was strange Forrest should report these things to General 
Pillow when Floyd was in command. When we returned to 
camp it was daylight. Martin had already got in. Forrest had 
several scouting parties ready to go out on the left, and taking 
Martin and me along with him, he made an extended reconnoissance 
all along the backwater. I was sent several times with messages 
that day to Pillow. 

In the meantime the assault on our right was made and repulsed 
with leavy loss to the enemy. Some of our men were engaged 
in strengthening the works, and others in watching the enemy as 
they were closing in around us. That night I was required again 
to go into the enemy's lines, and proceeded in the same manner as 
before, but found that the Federals had doubled their pickets and 
were far more on the alert; but I succeeded in reaching my former 
station near General Smith's tent. Many were still engaged in 
carrying off, their wounded. 1 learned that the enemy had been 
reinforced and also that their gunboats were expected to attack us 
in the morning. I again made my way back into our lines, and 
having made my report to Forrest again, went with him to General 
Pillow's quarters. I was fully impressed with the idea that there 
would be a general assault the next morning, and I noticed as I 
went along that our troops were moving out towards our left. ,As 
soon as we had made our report Forrest started to the front and 
required me to go on with him. It was intensely cold, for there had 
been a regular blizzard during the night. As we galloped along we 
met a courier from Captain Overton, who said he had found the 
enemy in heavy force in the front. Captain Overton was in com- 
mand of a Kentucky company which had been assigned to Forrest's 
command. Forrest put spurs to his horse and rode to the advanced 
videttes. He called Martin and me and directed us to go forward 
with Lieutenant Ringold and find the exact position of the enemy. 
When we reached the point where Overton's scouts thought they 



IN FEDERAL CAMPS, 57 

had discovered the enemy, we found they had taken an old brush 
fence for a column of infantry, and pushing on some distance we 
came to an old field through which Ringold insisted on riding. There 
was a rather wide and deep ravine running down almost through 
the center of the field. Believing that the enemy was near, I 
rode dose to the edge of the ravine, Martin to the left and Ringold 
to the right. Keeping a close lookout, we rode towards the far 
end of the field, and when about half way I heard the sharp report 
of a rifle and felt the force of a bullet as it passed through my 
coat at the top of my shoulder. I instantly put spurs to my horse 
and jumped him into the ravine. Bending low, it seemed that a 
thousand bullets passed over my head. Running down through the 
ravine till I found an opening towards the left and jumping my 
horse to the upper level again, I made my way towards the woods 
and caught a glimpse of Martin as he jumped his horse over the 
fence, and saw Ringold running back the way we came, leaning 
forward with his arms about his horse's neck. The whizzing of 
bullets about me warned me that 1 was still within range, and 
urging my horse to his full speed and leaping over the fence into 
the dense woods beyond, I found myself out of danger. Pressing 
on, I came up with Martin and was relieved to learn that he was 
not hurt. A little farther on we found Ringold lying on the 
ground and surrounded by a number of Confederate officers. He 
had three minie balls in him and was pronounced by the surgeon to 
be mortally wounded. I heard afterwards that he recovered, but 
I never again met him in the service. 

Forrest in the meantime had hurried up his com- 
mand, dismounted them and advancing as far as the 
field fence, opened fire on the enemy, although they were 
concealed in the dense woods opposite. It proved to be too long 
a range for our guns. One of our boys, more venturesome than 
the rest, crawled out into the field behind a stump and opened fire, 
and about the time he fired his second shot he received a ball in 
the head that killed him instantly. Another boy did the same 
thing, rolling his comrade's body out of the way, and soon himself 
met the same fate. A third boy — nothing daunted — started for the 
fatal spot, but Forrest coming up, in a stentorian voice ordered 
him back. Springing to his feet and running back to the fence, 
he was hit by a ball in the leg before he could get over. Forrest 



58 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

now made a flank movement and the enemy fell back to a strong 
position. About this time Forrest received orders to fall back. 

Learning that the gunboats were coming up the river, Forrest 
determined to see the fight. There was a large two-story white 
house standing on the hill overlooking the river and he headed his 
horse toward it. I, however, tumed mine into the low bottom and 
m.oved in the direction of the river. Forrest observing this, hallooed 
at me: "Johnson, why don't you come up here with me behind 
the house? " I told him I was afraid 1 should get full of splinters 
if I got behind the house. This apparently struck him as sensible, 
for he turned his horse and rode with me into the bottom where 
he could overlook the river and see everything. The sound of 
the heavy shells that soon began to shriek over us was enough to 
strain the nerves of the strongest man. And as the shriek would 
reach my ear I would unconsciously draw myself into as small a 
compass as possible, but did not dodge for fear 1 should make the 
wrong motion. Forrest noticing me, said : " Why don't you 
dodge? '' I told him I was really afraid to do so. " I don't believe 
a word of it," he said, but such was the actual fact. Intense 
anxiety soon overcame all other feelings. We sat gazing intently at 
the boats, realizing that if they should pass the batteries we would 
be completely at their mercy, as the river was high enough to 
enable them to rake all the hollows and low ground around the 
fortifications. On, on they came, throwing their great round shot 
and shells against our works, many of them passing over the hills 
and dropping into our camps beyond. The leading boat was fairly 
abreast of us, and we believed that she would certainly pass, when 
we heard the crash of a shell against her side and saw the smoke 
of the explosion rise up and the confusion on board. Slowly 
turning with the current, she floated down stream amid the wild 
hurrahs and yells of the Confederates. Forrest himself stood 
straight in his stirrups and shouted with as much enthusiasm as 
any of us. The whole flotilla turned and followed in retreat. With 
great satisfaction we watched them all till they were out of sight. 
Then we returned to our camp. 

Ever on the alert, Forrest sent Martin, myself and a young red- 
headed Missourian named Gamer out on the left to see if the 
enemy were making advances in that direction. The earth was 
covered with a crust of frozen snow, so that we made much noise 
as we rode along. I suggested that we separate and advised each 



IN FEDERAL CAMPS. 59 

\o ride a short distance and then stop and listen, Gamer going- 
to the right and Martin to the left. I took the central line, and 
carrying out my own suggestion, I galloped forward until 1 reached 
a point where 1 could see some distance down an open glade. Taking 
shelter beneath a large tree, I saw a column of cavalry crossing 
the glade some distance in my front, and while I was intently 
watching them I heard the crushing sound of a body of horsemen 
immediately in my rear and found myself inclosed between the 
two Federal columns. 1 was now in full view of the rear column, 
which was between me and our fortification. Knowing it would 
be almost impossible to escape by flight, and having my shawl 
around me so that no one could distinguish me, 1 turned my 
horse's head around and moved slowly along parallel with the 
column, or rather, gradually drawing nearer to them, but slowly 
falling to the rear and finally crossing between the rear guard and 
the column. 1 was slowly widening the distance between us, when 
quick firing in front caused the Federals to double-quick in that 
direction, and 1 was left to make my way to our lines without 
further molestation. On reaching camp, I found Garner and 
^Martin had returned; all parties believed that I had either been 
killed or captured. Garner had got the first glimpse of the cavalry 
and had come in first and reported that we were both doubtless 
killed, as he had heard the firing. Martin had also got a sight of 
the cavalry, and taking a good position, waited till the advanced 
videttes got in close range; then, turning his double-barrel shotgun 
loose at them, brought down a man and horse. Some of the 
Federal troopers dashed at him and followed him close enough 
to our intrenchments to draw the fire of some of our infantry 
outposts, which turned them back. 

We had time enough to feed our horses and get our suppers, 
when Forrest gave me orders to enter the lines again and ascertain, 
if possible, if the enemy were concentrating at any point to make 
an assault; he also wanted me to see the whole length of the 
line. Taking my usual route, I went to Captain Graves's quarters 
and he again went with me to the outposts and gave the same 
instructions as formerly, although I did not intend to return that 
way. Martin this time went with me as far as the battery, and takings 
my horse, led him over to our extreme left and there waited for 
me. Entering the line, I went up the ravine as formerly, but 
the night being extremely cold, I made very slow progress. It 



60 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

was necessary to keep my hands warm enough to handle my gun 
quickly if necessary. 1 had passed two lines of sentinels and was 
moving on with less caution, as I knew where the picket base was, 
and thought 1 could pass it without any trouble, but turning a 
sudden bend in the branch, 1 came upon the picket guard at their | 
base, seated around a fire right where 1 had formerly passed; 
believing that I was discovered, a sudden inspiration came to me 
and I stepped briskly forward and ordered them to put out the 
fire, asking them why they had built it so near the guard line. 
All hands at once began kicking the wet snow and dirt over the 
fire, while I passed rapidly on towards Smith's headquarters. 1 
am confident my Scotch shawl and peremptory order convinced 
them that I was a Federal officer. Reaching my station near 
Smith's headquarters, I waited patiently for something to turn up, 
r.nd was soon rewarded by getting information from an aide of Gen- 
eral Grant's, who came cantering up, and dismounting, was met at 
the front of the tent by General Smith, who asked hastily about 
the gunboats. The officer replied that some of them were so 
seriously damaged that they could not be repaired this side of 
Louisville. "And how is it about the reinforcements?" "We 
think they will reach here to-morrow evening, or, at the latest, 
Sunday morning." 

Feeling the importance of this news and knowing 
that I had a long trip to make over a comparatively unknown 
country, and that every step I took carried me on much more 
dangerous ground with less chance of escape if discovered, I hurried 
away. The tangled brush and the deep ravines were in one sense 
a great protection, but in another it increased my danger, as I 
would frequently come suddenly upon a camp and had to make 
my way carefully around it. My danger was the greater, as there 
was a number of my schoolmates and two of my brothers scat- 
tered along this line. I determined not to be captured and intended 
to shoot any one, except, of course, my brothers, that should 
recognize me. I had the conceit to believe that 1 had a good 
chance of escape, as the country was a mass of tangled brush, and 
the woodcraft that I had learned while on the frontier of Texas 
would enable me to outwit untrained soldiers, let them be ever 
so numerous. Therefore, walking on rapidly, I reached the back- 
water, on which the extreme right of the Federals rested. I 
considered my situation here more desperate than at any other 



IN FEDERAL CAMPS. 61 

point, as I had to pass ihrough the lines without any knowledge 
of the position of the Federal outposts. Working my way cautiously 
toward the front until I thought I was near their picket base, I 
turned squarely to the left, going back towards the river, hoping 
to find some ravine that cut their line which would enable me 
to slip through. I was not disappointed, and soon found myself 
in a ravine that led in the right direction; going down it and 
moving along with extreme care, as the crust of snow made it 
very difficult to move without noise, I proceeded some time when 
I found a fire had been kindled also in this ravine. There was a 
strong picket guard, some of them lying asleep, and others cooking 
and eating. My only chance was now to climb out of the ravine 
and manage to get back into it between the base and the videttes. 
It took me a long time to accomplish this. But I here got some 
information as I was passing along within earshot. I heard one 
of the men ask another if Crittenden's corps had searched the 
landing ; I stopped and listened with intense interest and heard 
the others say '' No, and will not till to-morrow evening, or Sunday 
morning." The other laughed and said : " This is already Saturday 
morning, for it's now four o'clock." The other said : " Well, no 
matter, they will not be here till this evening anyhow, and you 
had better go and relieve the guard, as it is now time." Knowing 
that 'I had but a short time to get out of the Federal lines and 
into our own, I moved along towards the front, the noise of 
waking the guard and getting- them into line enabling- me to 
escape notice and get to the edge of the ravine concealed by the 
undergrowth. I waited till the guard passed me towards the front 
and until the relieved guard returned. Then dropping into the 
ravine again, I moved down it to the front, and coming to a sudden 
turn, found that the pickets were on the hill and their beats only 
extended to the border of the ravine, which enabled me to easily 
pass their line. Continuing in the branch, I soon reached our 
videttes. Either I was less cautious or our sentinels were more 
alert, as I was halted and made to give the countersign over the 
point of a bayonet. I was taken quickly to the picket base, where 
I found Martin, who threw his arms around me and declared he 
had never passed a night of greater anxiety. 

Mounting our horses, we rode rapidly to Forrest's 
headquarters, and thence to General Pillow's. Forrest 
quickly dismounted and went in, but soon coming 



62 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

out, mounted and rode with us back to his tent; then, telling us 
to go in and get something to eat, he turned his attention to having 
his command mounted and ready for moving. I now realized for 
the first time that everything had been prepared for some serious 
work. We were not half through eating, for we were very hungry, 
when Forrest returned and said : " If you are not through eating, fill 
your pockets, for we must go." It was very cold, and I persuaded Mar- 
tin to wear my heavy overcoat. ,We were soon riding at the head of' 
the column with Forrest. I now noticed that other troops were 
moving in the same direction. It was just about daybreak when 
we encountered the advanced videttes of the Federal forces. The 
pickets were quickly driven in on the main body, and then com- 
menced the great battle of Fort Donelson. Forrest ordered me to 
report to General Pillow, and ask him to support him with a brigade 
of Infantry, telling me where I would find the general, according 
to a previous agreement. Pillow was on horseback in a glade not 
far in the rear. After receiving my report, he said : *' Tell Forrest 
to push forward; the infantry has been already ordered to his 
support." Galloping back, I was again with Forrest and the orders 
I brought seemed to fill him with delight. Onward we pressed, 
pushing the Federals back. 



J 




D. R. BURBANK. 



CHAPTER IX. 



FORT DONELSON, 



Wyeth, in his History of Forrest, gives the following vivid 
description of the movement: 

" Forrest had worked his way well around the Federal right 
flank and in their rear. His quick eye caught the first break in 
Oglesby's ranks, and shouting 'Charge!' at the head of his men 
he rode into the wavering, yet gallant, Westerners. The pressure 
from the front and the rush of the horsemen on flank and rear 
were more than they could stand. Holding their empty cartridge- 
boxes up to tell why they yielded, they broke and fled the field. Panic 
was in the air, and to the mind of Forrest the crisis of the battle 
had come. Galloping at full speed to General Bushrod Johnson, 
he pleaded with this officer to order an advance all along the line, 
but the West Pointer would not presume. General Pillow was ever 
on the right, intent on urging Buckner to move out and attack, 
and the order for which Forrest was praying was not g-iven. 
Observing a battery of the enemy comparatively unprotected, the 
lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, this time not asking for orders, put 
himself at the head of his command and rode the gunners down 
before they could escape. The battery of six pieces was his. For 
the first time in the war he was able to show what cavalry could 
do. General Pillow, in his official report, says : ' I found the 
command of General Buckner massed behind the ridge within the 
works, taking shelter from the enemy's artillery on the Wynn's 
Ferry road, having been forced to retire, as I learned from him. 
Our force was still slowly advancing, driving the enemy towards 

63 



64 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

the battery, and I directed General Buckner immediately to move 
his command towards the rear of the battery, turning its left, 
keeping in the hollow, and to attack and carry it. Before the 
movement was executed, my force form^ing the attacking party 
on the right, with Colonel Forrest's regiment of cavalry, had 
reached the position of the battery. Colonel Forrest's cavalry gal- 
lantly charged a large body of infantry supporting the battery, 
driving it and taking six pieces of artillery — four brass pieces and 
two twenty-four-pounder iron pieces.' Here fell a number of his 
men. His horse was shot, and that of his brother, Lieutenant Jeffrey 
Forrest, was killed, and in falling badly crushed his rider. 

" The lieutenant-colonel of cavalry did not rest upon this feat, 
which won for him and his men the high commendation of his 
chief. Leaving the guns to be taken from the field by others, and 
under orders from General Pillow to leave Gaunt's battalion to 
guard the left, he immediately moved his own regiment towards 
Buckner's position at the Confederate center. As General Buckner 
was advancing to the attack, General Pillow pointed out to Forrest 
two guns of the enemy which were doing considerable damage 
and' greatly annoying the Confederate advance, and said: 'They 
must be silenced; Forrest must do it.' Leading the squadron in 
person, he asked General Pillow to give him the support of the 
nearest infantry. Roger Hanson's ' Orphans,' the Second Ken- 
tucky Regiment, stripped for the fray and moved up for the work. 
With sabres out and bayonets fixed, horse and foot plunged through 
the tangled mass of undergrowth so thick that the infantry easily 
kept pace with the mounted troopers until reaching the edge of 
a narrow field or clearing. Here Hanson, shouting to his men, 
* Hold your fire until at close quarters ! ' and calling for the cavalry 
to go with him, rushed into the opening. With equal valor the 
Federals stood their ground. They swept the field with bullets, 
and crowds of Confederates went down. Riderless horses scurried 
from the scene, while the troopers yet mounted, yelling like 
demons, with guns discarded and pistols in hand, leaped over their 
fallen friends and went right on. Like a canebrake on fire, the 
Union muskets blazed and crackled right in the faces of the South- 
ern men, and then it was hand to hand, bravely and briefly. Under 
the pressure of this desperate onslaught the Federals finally gave 
way. Forrest's men, charging with the infantry, were first on the 



FORT DO NELSON. 65 

guns, but the glory was equally with the Kentuckians and their 
peerless leader, who, later on, at Murfreesboro, slept 

' On Fame's eternal camping ground.' " 

In this charge Forrest's horse, weakened by loss of blood from 
many wounds, fell under him, but instantly he was remounted on 
a horse tendered him by a young Baptist preacher, named Lansing 
Burroughs, who had been with him all day in the battle. This 
exchange caused but a momentary halt, and Forrest calling upon 
Martin and me to follow him, dashed otf furiously after the retreat- 
ing Federals; but was soon halted by the killing of this loaned 
horse by a cannon-shot. Disentangling himself, Forrest ordered me 
to push on again rapidly and ascertain what the beaten enemy 
was doing. After going some distance I got near enough to these 
retiring forces to see many of their officers strenuously striving to 
halt and reform them; which, however, they did not succeed in 
doing until reinforcements came up. 

I then returned to report that the Federals had at last made 
another stand with greater nunibers. I found Forrest with Pillow, 
Floyd and Buckner. As I rode up 1 heard General Buckner say: 
" The Wynn's Ferry road is open now, and if we intend to move 
according to the program we ought to do so at once." 

" I am not in favor of retreating," General Pillow replied. " We 
can drive them into the Tennessee river." I gathered from this 
fragmentary conversation that Fort Donelson had been regarded 
as untenable and an evacuation had been anticipated. Buckner 
evidently thought the propitious hour had arrived; Pillow objected; 
Floyd was silent. They asked me what I had to report. I told 
them the Federals were again advancing and had been receiving 
reinforcements to a considerable extent. Just at this time heavy 
firing was heard upon our right, and General Floyd ordered the 
infantry to retire behind the entrenchments. 

I received orders to go to the front again and keep a close eye 
upon the enemy's movements, reporting anything of importance 
that might occur; while Forrest received instructions to collect all 
the wounded and all arms and accoutrements he might find scat- 
tered about the battlefield. 

Galloping forward, I soon came to a small farm not very far 
beyond the Wynn's Ferry road, where I discovered that the Yankees 
had turned the dwelling-house into a hospital. Coming around to 



66 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

the front of tliis^ house, I observed a young aid-de-camp siiting* 
upon his horse, and could distinctly hear him order the surgeon to 
move all his wounded, that could possibly stand such treatment, to 
the rear. As he turned to ride off 1 commanded him to halt, but 
instead of heeding he drew his pistol and I was compelled to shoot 
him. I then caught the young lieutenant's horse, and telling the 
Federal surgeon that they were now within the Confederate lines, 
and that he must not stir from that spot, 1 rode on; but. finding 
the captured horse a great impediment to my scouting, I tied him 
to a tree and proceeded toward the Federal lines, and soon got 
within range of some skirmishers advancing in line. I then retraced 
my route and was fortunate to find the captured horse where I 
had left him, and took him to camp, which I reached just as Forrest 
was preparing to go to headquarters. I found Burroughs with 
Forrest, and presented him with the captured steed, much to the 
joy of the unselfish young preacher. 

Having reported to Forrest, he told me I had better eat my supper 
and go to bed in his tent, saying : ''I know I have worked you 
pretty hard and you need some rest." 

But Martin, weary and worn by the long and severe labors he 
had undergone, had already dropped to sleep in a bed of snow. 
His two best friends, Forrest and myself, fearing that he would 
suffer from this exposure, lifted him gently and laid him inside the 
tent, covering his unconscious form with warm blankets. In 
accordance with my habit, I firsts groomed and fed my faithful 
horse which I had ridden hard from early morn without food or 
rest ; then proceeded to broil some bacori, the most . savory and 
grateful meat a very hungry man can eat, which I ravenously 
devoured after making a sandwich of it between two pieces of 
hard tack. That meal of frugal fare after so long a fast made 
such an impression upon my mind that I remember it to this day 
as the most satisfying supper I ever partook of. I had been unceas- 
ingly employed ever since Wednesday morning, and had not once 
stopped to take much-needed repose from that morning until now, 
Saturday night. Still, under the excitement of the events of this 
day, I had passed beyond the desire to sleep and sat munching my 
cracker and bacon, and gazing thoughtfully into the camp-fire, when 
I was aroused from my reverie by the clatter of horses' feet upon 
the frozen road. It was Forrest, who dashed up and asked excitedly : 
" Johnson, where's Martin ? " 



FORT DONELSON. 67 

" In the tent still asleep, General," was the reply. 

" Rouse him up, for God's sake, rouse him up ; there's work to 
be done," Forrest cried in the same excittd tone. 

I dropped the " hard tack " and sprang up and rushed into the 
tent where Martin was peacefully sleeping, having forgotten that 
there ever was such a disturbing element as Yankees, it was with 
much difficulty that he was aroused, and he was still sitting on 
the blanket rubbing his eyes when Forrest entered. 

" Boys, these people are talking about surrendering, and I am 
going out of this place before they do, or bust hell wide open," 
he announced in his determined and expressive style. 

Martin, now thoroughly awake, sat looking at the grim face of 
his leader in open-moutl ed astonishment, while 1 stood straight 
and stiff with surprise. 1 had felt so confident that a great and 
decisive victory had been gained by the Confederates that the 
idea of surrendering had never once presented itself, but on Forrest's 
announcement I determined to make my escape also from that 
place before this plan was put into effect. 

"That's what these damn fools intend to do, so you boys must 
go at once and find some way for my regiment to get out of here, 
for get out they must if I have to kill every Yankee picket to do 
it," the cavalry leader said. 

" But, General, how are Martin and I to get through these lines 
when no countersign has been given and orders are to shoot any 
one who attempts to pass," I inquired, puzzled, but determined to 
do my best. 

'' I do not know how you are to get through, but all depends 
upon you and you simply must find a way or make one, for I 
am going to take my command out of here before daylight," was 
the stern rejoinder. 

We were soon in the saddle and turned our horses' heads towards 
the Wynn's Ferry road. Our quickly-improvised plan was to 
assume the role of officers out with instructions to be doubly careful 
in letting any one through the lines. After searching for some 
time, v/e succeeded in finding a guard-line reaching the backwater 
of the much-swollen Cumberland river. A few paces from the 
picket base, out in the river, was a small strip of land completely 
surrounded by water and extending down into our lines. Riding 
a short distance back into the woods, we dismounted and tethered 
our horses to a tree: wishing to lessen the danger of being halted,- 



68 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

we decided it was best to pursue this course, as we were less likely 
to be discovered on foot than on horseback. Slipping stealthily to 
the bank, we noiselessly stepped into the water and waded out to 
the small island ; then dropping upon our bellies, we wiggled our way 
carefully along until' we had passed the pickets; then entered the 
water again and waded back to the mainland. The ice-cold water 
made our teeth chatter and cold chills chase in rapid succession 
down our spines, but we set our jaws firmly with a great effort 
to keep them still, and walked along lightly and rapidly until we 
were in sight of the Federal picket-fires. A careful note was made 
of their position, then we made our way back as we had come, 
being fortunate enough to elude the eyes of the sentries as well 
as to discover a fordable place in the backwater about a half mile 
from the enemy's lines that could be easily crossed on horseback. 
On reaching our horses we sprang into the saddles and rode at 
full speed to the Confederate headquarters, whe're we found General 
Forrest anxiously awaiting our return. He immediately conducted 
us to the council chamber where Generals Floyd, Pillow and 
Buckner were in earnest consultation over their dangerous situation 
and their dift'erent views of policy. The supreme question of the 
hour was already settled in Forrest's clear, decisive mind, for his 
plan of action was fully mapped out. After hearing our report 
these three Confederate leaders discussed the matter without reserve. 
As Martin and I were almost frozen from our wade in the freezing 
water and our wild gallop through the bitter wind, we hugged the 
stove and listened attentively to the arguments of these generals. 
We soon saw that they all somewhat doubted the feasibility of 
escape in the night. Pillow strenuously opposed surrender; 
Buckner believed that further resistance only involved a useless 
sacrifice of life, while Floyd was non-committal. Floyd and Pillow, 
while ranking Buckner, seemed desirous of shifting upon 
his shoulders the responsibility of remaining and carrying out the 
plans of surrender, while they would make an effort to escape. This 
was the final conclusion of their heated discussion, and Forrest 
gained consent to lead his command out before daylight. We 
hastened to rouse the sleeping soldiers and get them under arms 
and mounted for their hazardous nocturnal enterprise. These 
iine fellows were completely worn out with their hard day''s labor 
in the bitter cold, and it was with great dilficulty that Martin and 
I succeeded in waking them ; but we shook them and punched them 



FORT DONELSON. 69 

and yelled at them and rubbed snow in their faces and tried to 
make them understand the nature of the march before them. 
Almost all of them got into the saddle, but a few unfortunate ones 
were left behind and were afterwards found asleep in their blankets. 
Just as the regiment was moving off Forrest ordered Martin and 
me to return to headquarters. He had meantime arranged 
with Dr. J. W. Smith, a native citizen residing near, and 
familiar with the country, to guide him out by the route we 
described. Leaving our horses tied near the tent, we walked back 
to headquarters and were informed by Generals Pillow and Floyd 
that we were to be their guides as far as Nashville. 

I must ask the reader to now pardon me for a slight digression 
from the main course of my narrative. The battle of Fort Donelson 
was one of the crises of the great Civil War. It produced the 
reverse effect of Manassas on our people — the one sent a thrill 
Of joy, pride and confidence throughout the South; the other was 
followed by sorrow and dejection. Joseph E. Johnston and 
Beauregard were toasted as heroes; Albert Sidney Johnston, Floyd 
and Pillow had vials of wrath poured on their devoted heads, while 
a meed of praise was given to Buckner for staying with his men 
and sharing their fate. I'he veriest novice in the art of war, become 
critical, could see that Johnston could have destroyed Grant's army 
and then concentrating his victorious forces on Buell, have driven 
him from Kentucky; or, he could have retreated from Bowling 
Green with more safety before the battle of Fort Donelson than 
afterward. The fury of the people was expended on Albert Sidney 
Johnston for not availing himself of these opportunities. All the 
critics could see that Grant had made a great military blunder 
when he divided his forces at Fort Henry and marched to Donelson, 
he says, with only fifteen thousand men. Forrest always asserted 
that we could have beaten Grant between the rivers, had we 
marched out and given battle on Wednesday. The reason for this 
failure pf Johnston is a matter of conjecture: Colonel William 
Preston Johnston has declared that Pillow's dispatches misled his 
father. If the question should be asked why Pillow was sending" 
dispatches when General Floyd was the commanding officer, I 
give in answer my opinion that General Pillow had no confidence 
in the military ability of General Floyd, who was purely a " political 
general;" and, indeed, from what I saw of General Floyd, I think 
he had no confidence in himself; wherefore, General Pillow domi- 



70 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

nated General Floyd and controlled affairs at Fort Donelson. I 
know this, that -all the orders and reports I carried went to General 
Pillow; and as he refused to carry out the plan which, I take it, 
had been agreed upon, — to march the army out after uncovering 
the Wynn's Ferry road on the afternoon of the main battle when 
our victorious troops were in high spirits, as suggested by Buckner — 
1 can not see why he should not be held responsible for the great 
disaster. Another thing that confirms the declaration of Colonel 
W. Preston Johnston, and indicates also the opinion of President 
Davis and his cabinet, is the fact that Pillow was relegated to the 
conscript department, and Buckner, after exchange as a prisoner of 
war, was promoted, and eventually became a lieutenant-general of 
the Confederate army. Buckner's kindness to me later on, while 
I was collecting the remnant of Morgan's command in his depart- 
ment, after the Indiana and Ohio raid, and his absolute refusal to 
issue the order to dismount Morgan's men at Chickamauga, as 
desired by Bragg, placed me under an obligation never to be for- 
gotten. I have, therefore, a personal pleasure, as v/ell as a soldier's 
sense of justice in presenting these views. 

1 was to go with Floyd and Martin with Pillow, but as all the 
boats had been burned, we set to work to improvise a raft to take 
the commands across the river, but while thus engaged a steam- 
boat came down the stream. Pillow and Martin at once went aboard 
the boat and were landed across the river, and after some little 
deliberation Floyd mustered his Virginians in line and boarded the 
boat, taking me with him. For a few hours intense excitement 
reigned for fear the Federals would train their batteries on us, and 
the suspense kept all in a disagreeable state of confusion. This, 
danger passed, I looked around for a place to get a nap, as I had 
for four days been deprived of both sleep and rest. My quest 
was in vain, as there was scarcely standing room upon the vessel. 
It was about noon, and accommodating myself to unavoidable cir- 
cumstances, I was standing on deck watching the beautiful scenery 
on either shore of the Cumberland, when an orderly approached, 
and told me that General Floyd desired my presence in his cabin. 
The general informed me that he wished to give me a commission 
upon his staff, but I very politely, but firrrily, refused, giving as 
my reason for so doing that I felt it my duty to remain with Forrest, 
as that commander was very much in need of my services as scout,, 
and I preferred that life to the duties of a staff officer. 



FORT DO NELSON. 71 

As soon as Nashville was reached and the troops disembarked, 
having remained on board, I decided to make another effort for 
a refreshing sleep. First, taking my faithful steed to Floyd's 
headquarters and feeding him, I returned, slipped into a stateroom, 
locked the doors and stretched myself upon the berth to get, as I 
:supposed, a long, refreshing sleep. After rolling and tossing for 
some tim.e in a vain effort to woo slumber, I had just about reached 
the conclusion that my overwrought brain and nervous system had 
deprived me of the power to sleep, when I heard the captain giving 
orders to fire the boat. This put all thought of sleep far into the 
background, and springing out of my warm bed, I hastily drew 
on my clothes, opened the doior and ran out upon the bank, where 
I stood alone and watched the burning of all the vessels to keep the 
Yankees from turning them into gunboats. 

The whole city of Nashville was in an uncontrollable panic, 
people were rushing madly about with their most valuable posses- 
sions in their arms; every valuable vehicle was put into use to carry 
the fleeing crowd from the city, while thousands departed on foot, 
every individual intent upon getting away before the approach of 
the hostile army that was momentarily expected. I never saw 
such frantic apprehension any time during the war as I saw here; 
but it is not to be wondered at, because the fearful anticipation 
of the fate that befell so many towns was holding undisputed sway 
in the minds of the inhabitants, and self-preservation was their first 
thought. It was a supreme pandemonium. The ceaseless clamor of 
excited voices was almost deafening as the citizens rushed madly up 
and down the streets, their precious belongings hugged to their 
bosoms, trying to get a seat in some carriage to take them out of 
the town. Hysterical women, half laughing, half crying, dragged 
their children behind them, too much excited to know just what 
they .were doing, but impelled by the nervous dread that if they 
•did not move the Yankees would catch them. 

This state of affairs continued until the arrival of General 
Forrest, whose reassuring presence soon impressed the restless 
crowd, and the orders given by him to the Texas rangers, who 
were now under his command, restored quiet. 

Countermanding somebody's order for the burning of the railroad 
trains, Forrest detailed men to bring them in, and loaded them 
with valuable supplies of various kinds; also by impressment of 
all horses and mules and every available vehicle he organized 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



wagon-trains, which were similarly used. Forrest had great common 
sense and a clear head for business and was a good quartermaster 
and commissary as well as soldier. His genius for turning small 
things to account was something wonderful, and his commanding 
air always inspired confidence and made people think that he knew 
what he was about. He had a clear preception of the duties of an 
officer of infantry or artillery as well as of cavalry. 



CHAPTER X. 



AFTER THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. 



Martin and I met soon after my arrival in Nashville. Forrest 
imposed upon us the duty of taking charge of a railway train loaded 
with wounded men and delivering them at their various points of 
destination. But just after we had received orders to take charge 
of this train General Albert Sidney Johnston sent a messenger to 
Forrest requesting him to send him two reliable commissioned 
officers to take important dispatches to Texas. Wishing to confer 
a favor upon his two young scouts, he chose Martin and me, and 
obtained for us recruiting orders that would furnish us transporta- 
tion and expense money. We purchased a horse and buggy as 
the only means of conveyance, and driving rapidly through the 
country, made the first stop at Shreveport, Louisiana, where I had 
left my favorite Texas horse, Joe Smith. Leaving Martin to care 
for the one we had driven, I went at once to look after this pet. 
On my approach the noble animal threw up his head and whinnied 
with joyful recognition. Anxious to reach the end of our journey, 
we soon had him hitched to the buggy and were again on the road. 
The intelligent animal seemed to know that he was homeward 
bound, and put his best foot foremost, bringing us into Austin in 
nine days after leaving Shreveport, a journey of over five hundred 
miles. The dispatches were delivered to Governor Lubbock, and 
we drove on to Burnet where my family was still residing. An 
attack of fever delayed me here for several days, but as soon as I 
was able to travel we set out on our return trip. Hoping to get 
transportation at New Orleans, we pushed directly for that place. 



73 



74 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

The high w^ter still continued and both of us knew that it would 
be exceedingly difficult and dangerous to cross the river above that 
point; therefore, we indulged the hope that we should be fortunate 
enough to get passage upon one of the boats; but on reaching Bayou 
Teche in the evening, we learned that New Orleans had been sur- 
rendered that day. Flanking that city, we seized a small ferry 
boat manned by two negroes and proceeded up the Mississippi to 
a suitable landing on the eastern shore. Without further mishap 
we arrived at Corinth, reporting first at army headquarters, and 
then without delay to Forrest, by whom we were heartily greeted. 

Just before our return to the army the great battle of Shiloh 
had been fought. General Forrest had again won great distinction, 
and although severely wounded, retained command until his con- 
dition necessitated more careful treatment. The enemy's lines still 
enclosed the late battle-ground. Our first orders were to go within 
these lines that night in search of information. We cautiously 
worked our way to General Lew Wallace's camp, lying along Owl 
creek, which, with Lick creek, embraced the sanguinary territory. 

We entered the Federal lines at Grand Hill and gathered some 
very valuable information as to- the number and character of the 
troops.^ Martin was sent back to report, and while riding quietly 
along the road, he spied two Federal soldiers ahead. Always ready 
for any daring exploit, he decided to capture both of the unsuspect- 
ing blue-coats and take them to headquarters with him. Putting 
spurs to his horse, he galloped up alongside of the astonished 
Yankees, and with his pistols pointed into their faces, demanded 
instant and unconditional surrender. He did not know whether 
they were stragglers or guards of a troop, but he quickly decided 
that the only way to find out was to capture them before they 
had discovered him or given the alarm. Both of the Federals were 
very willing to surrender when they looked into the determined 
face of their captor, and were soon mounted upon a horse that 
Martin was leading. The young Confederate proceeded rapidly upon 
his way until within a short distance of Grand Hill he came upon 
a farm house where he concluded to stop for the night. The owner 
of the house gave him permission to rest for the night, and putting- 
his two prisoners in a small log cabin, he got a trundle-bed from 
the farmer, and placing it across the doorway, was soon fast asleep. 
Just about daylight one of the prisoners decided that Martin was 
so sound asleep that he could make his escape without pursuit. He 



AFTER THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. 75 

got to his feet noiselessly and crept cautiously to the door, guarded 
by the slumbering jailer who was far in the land of dreams; he 
jumped over Martin's prostrate form and took to his heels as if 
the whole Confederate army was behind him. Martin opened 
his eyes just as the Federal made his flying exit from the log cabin. 
The bright eyes of the Confederate scout were now entirely cleared 
of drowsiness, and springing to his feet, he jumped out of the door 
a short distance in the rear of the fleeing enemy. Martin had 
stripped for bed and had on only his underclothing; his tender bare 
feet were very sensitive as they came in contact with the hard 
ground; imagine, therefore, his dismay when his captive ran across 
an old field filled with briars! Martin hesitated for an instant, then 
his teeth came to with a snap, and he was after the Federal as 
fast as his legs could carry him. He believed in pursuing as long 
as there was any possible chance of overtaking his man, even if 
it did lead him a wild chase through briars and thorns; but after 
running half way across the field, his bare legs torn and scratched 
severely, it suddenly flashed over him that the other prisoner also 
might take " French leave," and get away if he did not hastily 
return. Martin stopped short as this idea presented itself, and looked 
regretfully at the back of his fast-receding foe, being unwilling 
to admit that he was far outstripped as a runner, and still con- 
fident that a Confederate ought to be as fleet-footed as a Yankee, 
even if he were barefooted. Martin was afraid to fire upon the 
runaway, as he was so near the enemy's lines, but was almost 
tempted to risk it when the aggravating fellow stopped for an 
instant upon the edge of some trees and waved his hand tauntingly 
at him, then turned and disappeared into the woods. Martin had raised 
his pistol to shoot, but thinking better of it, turned and began picking 
his way back among the briars, laughing to himself over his breezy 
chase in the cool air, and congratulating himself upon having had 
no spectators. But just at that moment he saw the flutter of a 
dress in the door of the farmer's cabin, and his face reddened with 
embarrassment as he thought that the ladies of the house had been 
interested watchers of his run after the Yankee. Springing hastily, 
behind a tree that v/as near at hand, he called to a boy to bring 
him his shoes and clothes, thanking his stars that there was such 
a friendly shelter for him while in this rather scanty " undress 
uniform." His toilet was made with much rapidity and Martin was 
soon saddling his horses, impatient to be again upon his way. The 



76 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

other prisoner was safely conducted to the army headquarters at 
Corinth. Martin had an inexhaustible flow of animal spirits and 
was as delightful a companion in moments of relaxation as he was 
the reliable soldier and steadfast comrade in times of peril. He 
always hugely enjoyed his own adventures and escapades; and when, 
on my return to camp, he told with infinite humor how the Yankee 
got away from him, he laughed gleefully, like the big-hearted boy 
he ever seemed. 

hi a few nights we were again near General Lew Wallace's camp. 
We had with us a stalwart young fellow who had escaped from. 
"Island Number Ten" at its capture by the gunboats, and who had 
a sweetheart just across the creek from the Federal camp. He 
told us that his lassie's old father had taken the oath of allegiance 
to the government of the United States, and had in his possession 
some pistols and guns he had bought from the Yankees. I deter- 
mined to have these arms, although the house of the owner was 
within earshot of the enemy's guard-line. Martin grinned his ready 
acceptance of the request to accompany me, and our new comrade 
seemed equally willing. We reached the cabin about nine o'clock,, 
and Martin and the young soldier were placed as sentinels outside 
with orders to rattle their guns just loud enough for the inmates 
to hear them. I quietly opened the door without knocking and 
stepped into the room, an unwelcome and unbidden guest, as a 
Confederate soldier was the last person that this renegade South- 
erner wanted to see. My reluctant host was compelled to receive 
his unbidden guest as he sat, half undressed upon his bed, his eyes 
bulging with astonishment, if not fear. I strode up to the old 
fellow, and looking at him sternly, said : " I have heard, sir, that 
you have been buying some arms from my soldiers, and for such 
an act it is my unpleasant duty to arrest you." With a trembling 
voice, the old man rejoined : " Sir, I have had nothing more to 
do with your soldiers than I could help, for I have no use for 
them. They came here after milk, and lounging around under 
the trees left some pistols, sabres and spurs, which my little boy 
brought into the house. I am not at all responsible for their care- 
lessness, but I suppose that I will have to suffer for their wrongdoing 
and be carried off to prison, like some of my old neighbors who 
were put into your guard-house and kept there till they sickened 
and died." Just as this moment his wife, followed by her daughter 
and a little boy, came in. A black-eyed, resolute-looking woman 



AFTER THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. 77 

she was, and her woulcl-be son-in-law had warned me that she was 
a genuine shrew; she certainly looked it as she marched right up 
to me, her dark eyes fairly blazing in her anger and fixed upon mine. 
But I met her glance squarely and said : '' Madam, we may be 
able to arrange this matter so that no one will suffer any hurt, but 
if you give any trouble it will be the worse for you and all. If 
these arms are given up at once, and your husband will promise 
to report at headquarters in the morning, we may be able to find 
the owners of them before then, and he will be released instantly." 
But before she had time to answer the little boy came in dragging 
the coveted property, and said as he placed them before me : " This 
is all there is." I immediately opened the door just wide enough 
to pass them out and called : " Sergeant, take these arms and 
carry them to my tent at once." As Martin took them, I closed 
the door and turned again to meet the inquiring gaze of the lady 
of the house who had all the while been inspecting me inquisitively, 
and who now asked: "How do we know, sir, but what you are 
one of those villainous rebels?" 1 saw that the only way to do 
was to brave it out by assuming a very confident air and trying 
to allay suspicion until my comrades could reach a safe distance, 
so I answered: "Well, madam, if you are not satisfied with this 
arrangement and prefer to have your husband carried off to prison, 
all you have to do is to make a little disturbance and you will see 
what will be done." She became suddenly quiet, doubtless convinced 
that I would carry out my intentions to the letter. Believing that 
Martin was now far enough off, I opened the door, and without any 
adieus, stepped out into the night. I was soon up with my com- 
panions, and delighted the young soldier by giving him one of the 
captured pistols. 

At another time we discovered a house about half a mile from the 
Federal camp, where some of the officers habitually breakfasted, 
drawn thither by the fresh milk and butter to be obtained. Selecting 
a suitable spot near the road, I put up what my friend Martin 
called " one of my Indian thickets," made by cutting brush wood 
and sticking it into the ground so that it formed a good natural- 
looking screen, behind which we could conceal ourselves and await 
the coming of our unsuspecting game. The material was rather . 
short, but we believed that by lying flat it would hide us completely. 
Not entertaining a "thought of danger, though so near the enemy's 
lines, we slept soundly until a boy turning the cows out to pasture 



78 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

awakened us. Among the lot was an obstinate old muley whd 
refused to go in tlie direction that he wished to drive her, but came 
toward us, running at full speed. Just as she reached our hiding 
place, either seeing or scenting us, with a loud snort she leaped clear 
over the thicket. The little boy was following close in the rear 
of her nimble heels, and on discovering men with guns in their 
hands, stopped short, raised a loud cry of alarm, and ran into 
the house at fast as he could go. Knowing what discovery by the 
Yankees meant, we took to our he.els and rushed into the woods. 
Remembering that I had seen a log on a hill overlooking the Federal 
camp, I led the way, still determined to carry out our plans. Another 
green thicket soon sprang up, and we were again behind an 
improvised shelter waiting for some luckless officer to pass. At 
last we were rewarded by seeing two leave the camp mounted upon 
fine, spirited horses and dressed in apparently new uniforms. They 
took the road leading by the screen, and when within twenty steps 
of the ambuscade, the girth of one of the saddles came loose and 
the rider stopped to readjust it. This threw them so wide apart 
that it was impossible to enclose them, and when Martin sprang 
out into the road with his gun presented, demanding instant sur- 
render, the rear man whirled his horse to gallop back to camp. To 
prevent his giving the alarm which would have resulted in our speedy 
capture or death, I felt constrained to shoot him. Simultaneously, 
Martin had fired at his man, and turning, I saw the other horse 
running for the camp while Martin was pointing his double-barreled 
gun again at the Federal and demanding where he was shot. I 
heard him reply as he approached: ''The fact is I am not hurt 
at all, sir." At this declaration both of us seized him and ran v/ith 
him to the woods, disarmed him and gave him orders to keep up 
with us at double-quick, for the long-roll signal of alarm was 
now sounding in the camp as the riderless steed dashed up, and 
our safety demanded that we " stand not upon the order of our 
going." 

Our partner in this adventure had been sent to the rear with 
the horses, a distance of about six miles, and orders had been given 
him to feed them and have them in readiness for instant travel. 
Knowing that the woods would be scoured for our apprehension, 
and if caught we should be hung as spies, we double-quicked nearly 
all the way, reaching the horses about noon, and finding to our 
great relief that the young fellow had all in readiness. Making 



AFTER THE BATTLE OF SHILOII. , 79 

a circuitous route first toward Perdy and then toward Gravel 
Hill, we managed to pass all the picket-stands except the extreme 
videttes. Coming upon the same house where Martin had lost his 
prisoner, we decided to rest here all night. Before supper we put 
the Yankee in a room were there was an old loom and tied his 
hands behind him. Martin again secured his trundle-bed and put 
it across the door and was soon where no disturbing element could 
bother him. When 1 was sure that Martin was sound asleep, not wish- 
ing to be encumbered with a prisoner, I untied his hands and told 
him as scon as everything was quiet to slip out through that hole 
in the wall and get away; but the Federal believed that I only 
wanted an excuse to shoot him, and was afraid to move, lying all 
night without turning over. The next morning he told Martin that 
I had invented a plan to kill him, but that he was too shrewd to 
fall into the trap set for him; when the truth of the business was 
that I really wanted him to escape, as 1 did not like to be encum- 
bered with a captive, and, of course, would not kill him merely 
to be rid of him. 

The next morning by daylight our little party saddled up and 
started upon our way. On reaching headquarters at Corinth, we 
ascertained that our prisoner was a more important captive than we 
had supposed, for he was a lieutenant of artillery of the Federal 
army. The revolvers we had taken from him were presented with 
our compliments to General Charles Clark, a gallant Confederate 
officer, who had written us a note some days previous, requesting 
us to get him a pair of navy sixes. General Clark had been the 
good friend of both of us in the earlier part of the war at Hopkins- 
ville; and it was pleasant to think that we were able to reciprocate 
his kindness. We were also very much gratified at his eulogistic 
note of thanks for our little present. 

That night General Van Dorn sent a note to Forrest, asking him 
to send him two commissioned officers to serve on his staff for one 
day, emphasizing it by saying : ^' Send me men that you know can 
be relied upon." He wished them to report to him at five o'clock 
the next morning. Martin and I were quite proud to have been 
selected for this service. Neither of us had ever been commis- 
sioned, although Forrest always held us as his aids and habitualty 
treated us as such. By early dawn we were at the headquarters of 
General Van Dorn, who had recently come from the trans-Mis- 
sissippi department where he had made a fine reputation in Missouri 



80 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

and Arkansas. This was my first meeting with the General since 
he had left Texas some years ago, and he seemed glad to renew 
our frontier acquaintance. Ere long Van Dorn's command was 
engaged in resisting Pope's advance, and soon compelled him to 
fall back to a respectful distance from Farmington where they had 
met him. The General with his staff had pushed forward until 
they had actually gotten in the rear of the enemy's left flank, when 
the nearest Federal regiment broke and ran at '' double quick." 
Their flag-bearer, who was carrying a huge banner, would turn every 
now and then and wave it tauntingly at the Confederates. The 
impetuous Martin could not stand this insolent challenge, and 
wishing to capture the beautiful ensign, decided that it should be 
his, and without even waiting to get permission to attempt such 
an extraordinary feat, put spurs to his horse and was off at full 
gallop after the fleeing Yankee. Coming up behind the Federal, 
Martin seized the flag and whirled his horse to gallop back with it, 
but the rich trophy was very heavy and drooped, unfortunately, 
within reach of the flag-bearer, who at once gathered its folds in 
his tenacious grasp while Martin swung to the staff with all his 
might. Each tugged away, and the result was that the cords that 
fastened the silk to the pole broke, leaving the flag in the hands 
of the Federal who made good his escape, while Martin rode back 
to his comrades bringing the finely polished staff surmounted by a 
golden eagle. 

The Confederates had in their immediate front an open field of 
six or seven hundred yards, the south and east sides of which were 
bounded by heavy timber. General Van Dorn gave orders for 
his men to advance upon the enemy at double-quick, and went 
forward with his staff toward the southeast corner of the field, when 
a sudden, unexpected volley from the woods aimed at the little 
party caused them to seek a safer place. On looking back they 
discovered that one of their staff officers had fallen on the field, 
and a Federal soldier was riding toward him, evidently for the 
purpose of robbing him. The general ordered up a section of 
artillery to throw some shells at this pickpocket, but before they 
had gotten into position he had already reached his prey. Just 
as he dismounted there was a sharp report and his " itching palms " 
v/ent up in the air as he fell backward, having fallen a victim to his 
miserable cupidity. As the smoke cleared away Martin came 
stalking out of the woods leading his horse behind him. He re- 



{ 



AFTER THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. hi 

lieved the dead Yankee of his pistols, then mounted his horse and 
rode toward the group waiting for him, unmoved by tlie zip of 
the bullets that were sent at him. He reined in his steed by my 
side and asked, as a broad smile came over his merry countenance : 
'' Say, partner, this is a cheaper way to get a dandy pair of navy 
sixes than to pay seventy-five dollars for them, isn't it ? " His 
friends had all expected to see him fall at any minute, as a hundred 
shots had been fired at him, and I could not resist giving him a 
gentle reprimand, " Bob, you're very foolish to run such a risk 
for two pistols even if they are expensive, and I would not have 
endangered that fine horse of Forrest's for twenty such revolvers. 
If you had gotten him wounded you would have made no more 
attempts soon to capture pistols when you had once braved the 
general's wrath." 

" Pshaw, Ad, I didn't get him hurt, so there's no use preaching 
over what's already done. 1 thought that you at least would be 
with me, old fellow, and Qould appreciate my love of fun, as you 
like such exploits as well as 1. If a Yankee happens to show up 
just at the time I am in need of some of his property and I can get 
it by giving him a dose of gunpowder, why I consider myself in 
luck, and let him have it. One more to my list won't count against 
me in the hereafter. There now, don't you think that's so?" The 
gay, young fellow laughed audaciously as he put his hand on my 
arm and flashed a friendly glance from his gray eyes. Martin and 
I loved each other as brothers love, and neither would have hesi- 
tated a moment to risk his life for the other. We were perfectly 
happy when together and every one in camp remarked upon this 

yal friendship. So I didn't chide him further. 

Bob Martin's feat was the tlnale of the famous battle of Far- 
mington, as the Federals had hastily lied the field. 



CHAPTER XI. 



THE MESSAGE IX CIPHER. 



The next day after the battle of Farmington Marthi and I were 
bidden to Forrest's tent and notified that General Breckinridge had 
requested him to send him " the two 3'oung scouts." " Boys, 
you've made such a fine reputation I am afraid 3'ou will not be 
allowed to remain with me much longer,"' Forrest remarked after 
he had delivered his message. "It does not matter to whom we report, 
I am sure that we will never have a better commander, will we. 
Bob?" I asked, recalling the kindness of this noble-hearted 
officer. Forrest answered, smiling : " If you two boys will always 
do your duty as you have while with me, you will be sure 
to always have a good commander." When we reached General 
Breckinridge's headquarters he led us into his private room and 
began questioning us as to our nativity and rearing, ages, experience 
as scouts and spies, etc. He next informed us that he had need 
of two trusty, efficient men in our line to do special duty — ^twa 
Kentuckians, and he believed that we were just the men he wanted, 
if reports he had heard of us were true. *' In the meanwhile," he 
said, " you can go and enroll in my bod\^-guard, where you can 
draw rations for yourselves and horses. There is room here in 
this house for you to stay, as whenever I move with my staiT I wish 
3^ou to be with me." That evening the general called me alone to 
his room and asked me if I had a brother Ben. " Yes, I had a 
brother Ben." *' He was one of the best friends I ever had and 
possessed one of the most remarkable memories I ever knew; if 
you are as much like him in that respect as you are in face, I think 



i 



TH.E MESSAGE IN CIPHER. 83 

you will suit me exactly," Breckinridge replied as he earnestly 
•scanned my face. Evidently satisfied with his rigid examination, he 
continued : " I have some dispatches in cipher which I wish to send 
to two different men. They are too important to trust upon paper 
and risk capture. The first one reads thus : ' Number 7 to 11; 
number 21 back to 11 except 13;' the second like this: 'From 
21 to 77 except 33, 41 and 56. Also figure 3 to 177 except 140, 
50 and 60.' Now repeat these to me if you can," he finished, shoot- 
ing a half-smiling, incredulous glance at me. The incredulous 
smile broke into one of astonishment as I repeated both dispatches 
word for word. '' The time has not yet come for you to go on 
this mission, and any change in these figures v/ould be fatal, so 1 
wish you to repeat them to me until I am perfectly sure you have 
them thoroughly planted in your memory," the general said, much 
pleased at finding one to carry information for him and to do 
scouting in the enemy's lines. Every day I went to the com- 
mander's headquarters to repeat my lesson to him while Martin 
was sent through the lines on various missions. The day before 
the evacuation of Corinth an ofrlcer of Bragg's staff' rode 
up to where we were sitting near the outworks, and calling General 
Breckinridge aside, engaged him in earnest conversation. As 
Breckinridge turned toward us we heard him say: "I'll find the 
men if you will show them what to do." He beckoned to Martin 
and me, and pointing at us, said: "These are your men, Major." 
Orders were given us to mount and come with him. We rode 
to a point from which we could see an open field, a railroad-cut 
and, immediately in their rear on a hill, a line of rifle-pi^"S. "There is 
a road through ,the Federal lines which intersects that railroad-cut," 
said the major, as he pointed ahead. " It is very important that 
that road should be watched, and that little thicket on the brink 
of the cut is the only place from which you can have a good view 
of this road. You observe that you will have to traverse this field 
to reach that place. I have brought several men here who have 
attempted it but they have been either killed or wounded before 
they reached that fence. Do you young fellows think you can 
accomplish such a thing ? " he asked, looking us over critically. I 
made no answer, but dismounted and throwing my bridle reins to 
Martin, proceeded to make a careful survey of the ground. About 
half way to the field I descried a ravine leading into the field. 
Crawling down this, I found that I could get into the field without 



84 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

detection by removing a few pickets that served as a water gap. 
Returning to the major, I informed him that I would make the 
effort. " Remember that it is at the risk of your life, young man," 
the major warned me. I told the major that I wished both him 
and Martin to remain on the outside until I reached the thicket, and 
that I wanted him to send two men to take care of our horses 
until we returned. Here my Indian education upon the plains of 
Texas stood me in good stead, and cutting some bushes, I tied 
them to my head and on my back so as to conceal my movements 
as far as possible from the sharp eyes of the Yankees. On taking 
another look at my path, I observed a low flat place just in front 
where my bushes would not screen me, but seeing some weeds about 
a foot high, I concluded that these with my bushes would enable 
me to elude observation. Giving Martin a full explanation of my 
plans, I entered the ravine and crawled slowly and cautiously along. 
My progress was necessarily so slow and tedious that probably an 
hour passed before I reached the thicket. The rapid firing of the 
Federal sharpshooters caused me to believe that some movement 
on the part of our army was being made, but I sat down to wait 
for Martin. As soon as I was well upon my way, the quick-witted 
Martin turned the plans over in his head and decided that it would be a 
good idea to do something to attract the enemy's fire to this point, 
as there v/ould be less danger of their discovering his comrade; sa 
he at once set to work to make some dummies that would serve 
as good targets for their fire. In a short time two grotesque figures 
were standing in a not too conspicuous place, and no sooner were 
they discovered than a rain of lead began to fall around them. 
Martin chuckled to himself over their falling such ready victims to 
his-hoax, and arrayed himself in a coat of green boughs and started 
in pursuit of his comrade when he saw him enter the thicket. This 
heavy fusillade continued until Martin had reached the thicket, the 
Yankees still unaware of the trick that had been played upon them 
by the young scout. Once in the thicket, about one hundred yards 
from the Union sharpshooters, we were comparatively safe, but 
I made our place of refuge impervious to Federal eyes by cutting 
and sticking bushes up to make a screen. Unfortunately Martin 
was soon taken with a severe chill, followed by a high fever, and 
the hours dragged heavily for both of us under such depressing 
circumstances, particularly as all the water in our canteens had 
been used to quench Martin's fevered thirst; he would have 



THE MESSAGE IN CIPHER. 85 

suffered greatly if his fever had not abated after several hours. We 
would have left this trying position at nightfall if we had not been 
under strict orders to remain until called in. Had the sharpshooters 
known of our concealment in the thicket we should have been riddled 
with bullets in very short notice. This was one of the most trying 
situations in which we had ever been placed. About ten o'clock 
the regular hoof-beats of a horse coming down the railroad reached 
our ears, and believing that he was ridden by an enemy, I slipped 
down near the cut, Martin close at my heels. When the rider had 
approached to within about thirty steps I called a halt. The man 
jerked his horse back on his haunches and cried in an imploring 
voice: ''Don't shoot, for God's sake, don't shoot!" The voice 
was immediately recognized as that of Colonel Jils Johnson's man, 
Jackson, who took care of the colonel's horses, and was astride one 
of his fine Arabs. The good fellow's voice trembled with excite- 
ment as he cried to us: "Get out of here quick, boys; General 
Breckinridge wants you." Showing him the way through the cut, 
we hurried to our horses and finding them safe, mounted and 
galloped away with Jackson to Corinth College where we found 
the general anxiously awaiting us. 

When Martin and I returned to General Breckinridge's camp he 
welcomed us both with much warmth and said regretfully : " Boys, 
I made a great mistake in letting you go over there at such risk 
of your lives, and should have sent some one else, as I had an 
important mission for you. Since you are back again in safety I 
am very thankful." Taking me aside, he asked me to repeat the 
cipher message, and on its being done correctly, said : " I shall 
now tell you the name of the man to whom this is to be delivered. 
It is our mutual friend David R. Burbank, of Henderson, Kentucky. 
The lives of many men depend upon your careful management of 
this affair and it will bring either good or evil to the Southern Con- 
federacy." Calling Martin up, he said: ''Now boys, I want you 
to flank this Federal army and bring out all the Kentuckians you 
can to serve as Southern soldiers. I wish you both to remember 
that you are commissioned officers on my staff, and if you bring 
out enough men you shall have the command of them. We are 
now the rear guard of the Confederate army, and I believe if there 
are any two men living that can and will carry out my orders you 
are the two." This encouraging talk from our leader gave us a 
new inspiration, and we resolved to deserve all the trust he had 



86 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

placed in us. The personal influence of General Breckinridge was 
wonderful. In fstct, he possessed more magnetism than any one I 
ever knew. At that time he was the pride of Kentucky, the most 
striking-looking man in the whole army, and his mental powers 
far excelled his fine personal appearance. His power of expressing 
his opinions in such forcible language that a multitude was swayed 
by his convincing oratory was never equalled by any man in all 
the Southem army. Shaking hands with this splendid commander, 
so eminent both as statesman and soldier, his two new aids 
turned their faces toward Henderson, the fair city of my birth, and 
then the home of my aged parents. 

We had traveled for twenty miles by daylight, when we reached 
a farm house on a by-road, where we found we could obtain food 
both for ourselves and steeds. As soon as we had gotten breakfast 
and food enough to last for two more meals, as well as forage 
for our horses, we were again upon the road and proceeded for 
some distance along this secluded way; then turning aside, we entered 
a convenient thicket, secured and fed our horses and stretched 
ourselves upon the grass for a long, refreshing sleep, of which we 
stood in great need. The sun was two hours high before we 
awoke, but hastily putting on our saddles, we started again upon 
our journey at a sharp trot. Just before dark we came upon another 
farm house, and ascertaining that feed would be furnished for our 
animals and supper for ourselves, we took the corn and led our 
horses into a field. Leaving Martin in oJiarge, I went back for the 
supper. The master of the house had just returned from the 
hospital, where he had been nursed on account of the loss of an 
arm in the battle of Shiloh. He was suffering greatly from poison- 
oak on his face, and as I entered his wife was applying a poultice. 
I was helping in this soothing ministration when I was startled by 
hearing the tramp of horses' feet as the house was surrounded by 
Federals. I was much alarmed at being caught there in a trap, but a 
happy thought struck me, and I ran at once to the door and asked 
one of the soldiers where the commander was. The aid was already 
giving orders in the kitchen for the cooking of all the provisions 
there. As soon as I could find the major in command I asked in 
an alarmed voice if they had a surgeon. 

" What in the world do you want with a surgeon ? " 
"Why, we 4:ave a sick Confederate soldier in the house and we 
are afraid that he has smallpox," I answered glibly. 



THE MESSAGE IN CIPHER. 87 

** The thunder you say ! " exclaimed the Yankee officer in a 
surprised tone. " Here, Doctor, you had better go in and look at 
the man," he said, turning to a middle-aged man near him. Calling 
the captain, he gave orders to have the place well guarded and see 
that not one of the men was allowed to enter the house. As the 
captain started to obey the orders of his commander, 1 ran back to 
the invalid and tearing the poultice from his face, told him to let 
it remain exposed to the medical man's examination and to stick 
his wounded arm out and moan and groan and say that his bones 
were breaking with fever. The Confederate soldier played this 
role to perfection, and when the doctor came in 1 held the candle 
to let him see what a terrible face he had. The poor fellow's face 
was swollen so that his eyes were entirely closed, his lips twice 
their ordinary size, while small portions of the poultice were smeared 
all over his distorted visage. No worse-looking countenance with 
confluent smallpox was ever presented to a visiting physician than 
the one now disclosed to the wondering eyes of this learned son of 
Esculapius, who solemnly pronounced it an undoubted case of 
smallpox in its worst form. 1 followed the doctor out of the room 
and into the presence of the major, who was ordering all of his 
men to mount, and now asked this supposititious nurse where he 
could get drinking-water. He was told that he could find it either 
up or down the creek, as there were farm houses all along the way. 
Commanding one of his stalf to go back and inform those that were 
following, and ordering a yellow flag placed upon the gate, this 
Federal officer rode off ignorant of the ruse that had been played 
upon him and his duped command. As he rode off I heard him 
say : ''I would take that fellow along to show us the way if he 
had not been so exposed to that case of smallpox." To reassure 
Martin, I ran to the back door and threw it open, standing in the 
light so that my comrade could see that I was still there and not 
in the custody of the Yankees, whom he had of course heard 
surrounding the house. It was well that I gave this signal to my 
friend, for as the last tramping of the enemy's horses was heard 
Martin stepped out from behind a tree, a revolver grasped in each 
hand. He had intended, in his bold, impetuous way, tO' attack the 
whole force if he found that I was a captive, trusting to the friendly 
dark and the confusion of the melee to give him an opportunity to 
escape. As Martin came up he asked, wonderingly: *'Ad, what 
kind of a trick did you play on those foxy Yankees ? " I told him 



88 THE PART I S AN RANGERS. 

what I had done, then took him in the room and showed him the 
terrifying face of our brother-in-arms. Martin broke into his usual 
great laugh when he was told of this effective hoax, and the others 
joined in the merriment. 

Getting our cooked provisions and a new supply of forage for our 
horses, we again took a by-road and pushed on toward the Tennessee 
river. Nothing of consequence occurred upon our way and we 
crossed over and put at the ferry-house for the night. The host 
informed us that there was a Federal picket at the crossroads about 
a mile distant. We secured a buggy and placing our saddles under 
the seat, covering our guns with a shawl and using a blanket for 
a lap robe, we fancied we resembled peaceable citizens rather than 
soldiers. Learning from a girl that the picket was in the habit of 
stopping every- man to examine him, and that there were several 
Federals at the picket house, a little log cabin at the crossroads, 
we decided to pass them as early as possible in the morning. We 
placed our arms so that we could handle them readily and went 
forward. If only two of the men came to examine us I was to 
hand the one next to me a paper and shoot him as he took it, while, 
simultaneously, Martin was to shoot the other, then whip the horses 
into a run. We reached the pickets just as the Federals were sitting 
down to breakfast, and one of them rose from the table and came 
to the door and scanned us closely for a moment, but as we were 
driving with apparent carelessness, slowly along, he seemed to 
think that we were two innocent country lads and did not halt 
us. I confess that I felt much relieved at their negligence, but 
Bob seemed actually sorry that we did not have a scrap with those 
Yankees. We met with no further obstacle, and in due time reached 
Union county and took dinner with Ignatius Spaulding, an old 
schoolmate of mine. He was astonished to see us in such perilous 
times, but gave us a warm welcome. I recall to this day 
the delightful dinner we sat down to as one of the best I ever ate, 
being doubly appreciated after our hard journey and short commons 
for so many days. Here we separated, temporarily, I going on to 
Henderson, while Martin rode to Slaughtersville. Upon reaching 
the farm of Mr. Charles Taylor near Highland creek, I met the 
very man to whom I was to deliver the ciphers, Mr. David R. 
Burbank, who was there on a visit to his father-in-law. Burbank 
was very glad to see me, and was carried away with excitement 
when the dispatches were repeated to him. The distinguished 





m- ^^' 


\-^ 


'^tV^' 


^^B'Jr^^^^^i 


^n^^^Hv- mS '^^^^^^^K^ 


^^ ^^ 



PHILIP B. MATHEWS. 



/ 



THE MESSAGE IN CIPHER. 89 

Breckinridge was a warm personal friend of Burbank, who was a 
staunch, liberal friend to the South. Relieved now of the precious 
burden I had carried so long and anxiously in my mind, I enjoyed 
the hospitality of the Taylor family to the utmost, reposing the 
first night with a pleasant feeling of security not experienced in 
many a weary day. By daylight the next morning 1 was out of 
doors, breathing in with delight the fresh morning air of old Ken- 
tucky. I was soon joined in my early walk by my old friend, 
Mr. Burbank, who took me to a quiet spot, and pulling out of his 
pocket a small memorandum book, handed it to me, saying : " Look 
at these figures, my boy, and see if they are correct." Examining 
them, I read these figures and words, as cabalistic as those I had 
verbally delivered to Mr. Burbank, viz: " 7 to 11 — Fine leaf," etc. 
They were written in his tobacco book (Burbank was a large dealer 
in tobacco), and each number was followed by a description of 
some kind of tobacco. The exceptions were all marked ''trash," 
a term used by tobacconists to signify a very inferior quality. " If 
the Federals get hold of this they'll never get anything out of it," 
remarked Mr. Burbank with a very confident smile. " Now, John- 
son, if you need any money you can get it," he said as he took a 
roll of bills out of his pocket, amounting to several hundred dollars. 
'' Take this, and if you get a chance send it South to our old general, 
and if not,, use it yourself, and when you want more let me know 
and you shall have it;" he smiled kindly into my face and gave 
me a friendly pat upon the shoulder. Any one who ever had the 
pleasure of the acquaintance of David R. Burbank will recognize 
this as a characteristic act of the big-hearted man, who, though but 
an adopted son of Kentucky, was truer to her in the bitter hour of 
her extremity than many of her native-born sons. " There are 
two other men in Henderson that you can trust, my boy," he 
continued, "your uncle, John Barrett, and Phil. Mathews. They 
will know of your arrival as soon as you reach Henderson, and you 
can place implicit confidence in both of them. Old Kentucky must 
go to the Confederacy. If they will only give us a half chance 
we'll put fifty thousand good soldiers in the field." The good man's 
face was alight with earnest feeling as he made this announcement, 
and after a few minutes he said, as he gave me a benign look: 
" I'll see that the messages you brought go straight. General 
Breckinridge will soon know that you've accomplished that part 
of your mission." I thanked him warmly for his great kindness 



90 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. • 

to me as we went into breakfast. In an hour I was on my way to 
Tom Browder's, in Hopkins county. Martin was waiting for me 
and was rejoiced to liear that 1 had accomplished my mission safely 
and successfully. He informed me that ten or twelve men would 
meet us in the morning at Slaughtersville. 

On reaching that place, we found all these men awaiting us, with 
Captain Andy Ray and Jake Bennett among the number. Ray 
seemed to be the leader as well as the spokesman, and at once 
demanded our business. 1 told them that we were trying to get 
the Confederate soldiers to their different commanders, and to 
get new recruits, etc. Ray looked me over intently, and then said: 
" You seem to be quite a young man for such a business. What 
we want in Kentucky is a leader, and when one comes 1 will be 
willing to follow him, and could bring a good company to back 
him." All the crowd seemed to endorse his opinion; so Martin 
and I, somewhat disappointed, left them. We agreed to separate 
and move on, Martin going to Daviess county and 1 to Henderson, 
and both to meet again on the Harpshead road on a certain day 
and at a point we both knew well. In the interval we each saw quite 
a number of Confederate soldiers, but Rosecrans's amnesty order 
and the seductive reception of these young fellows by charming 
young ladies, who elevated them all into heroes, made it very 
difficult for us to persuade them to accept permanently the hardships 
of a soldier's life in the field, far away from home and friends. Upon 
m.eeting at the appointed place, we found that our experience had 
been similar. As we discussed our failure, I said: "Well, old 
fellow, there are but two things for us to choose between. It is 
sim.ply this, we will either have to reti^rn at once to our commands 
without recruits, or devise some way to make these soldiers leave 
here." Martin's eyes flashed as he met my gaze, and he said, hastily: 
*' The latter is the best thing to do, and if you'll make the plans 
I'll work with you to the death." I was pleased with this new 
evidence of my friend's loyalty, and said : " The first thing for 
us to do is to settle this point. Bob. In all enterprises there must 
be a leader, and if you will accept that place there's no man in the 
army I would rather serve under than you." 

"Well, Ad, I feel as you do about this matter, but you have a 
great many more influential friends than I have," Martin began, 
and as he saw the negative shake of his friend's head, he hastily 



THE MESSAGE IN CIPHER. 91 

added : " And you know 1 have already told all the boys that you 
are the captain and I the lieutenant." 

I demurred for a moment, then said: "All right, Bob, I'll take 
the place with the condition that it matters not what circumstances 
arise, neither of us is to criticise the other's conduct, as it is 
necessary that we stand by each other through thick and thin and 
through good and evil report." 

Martin readily accepted the condition, as he was heartily glad to 
get out of being placed in command of any of the men we happened 
to. recruit, for at this time he was too fond of his free career to give it 
up for the confining duties of an otticer. " Now my plan is to make 
the Yankees run these stay-at-home Confederate soldiers out of the 
country and to raise such a rumpus in this region that they will 
think all the boys are doing devilment," 1 said. Martin's face fairly 
shone with joy as he danced up and down to show his pleasure at 
the proposal; then he tossed his hat into the air and yelled with 
glee: " Hurrah for Dixie ! " 

Certainly this would seem a desperate policy for two lone men 
to adopt in a district thronged with numerous foes, both foreign 
and domiestic, and most older men, even among our friends, would 
have shaken their heads in disapproval of an apparently, reckless 
scheme which would put the country into turmoil and perhaps 
accomplish no useful results ; but we did not count personal hardship 
or danger when there was work to be done that would gain fresh 
recruits for our hard-pressed army. 

After some moments of reverie, 1 asked abruptly: "Martin, did 
you tell me that the provost guard was at Owensboro ? " Being 
ansv/ered in the affirmative, I said : " We will go straight there and 
begin our work on them. If we can find a few men to go with 
us we will take them along, but if not, why we will go alone." 
Martin and I found but one recruit to help us in our enterprise, but 
he was a youth of mettle, brave and true and ready night or day: 
Frank Amplias Owen has since won a record that has endeared 
him to all his brothers-in-arms and gained their highest esteem. 

1 explained my plans to my little army as we three advanced upon 
the city of Owensboro. First, we must magnify our numbers in 
the vivid imaginations of our foes, who from this day on should 
never have a restful day or night. Owen, who had the distinguished 
honor of being the first recruit of these two aid-de-camps of the 
illustrious Breckinridge, would be left with the guns in the 



92 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. ^ 

thicket at the mouth of the lane on the Henderson road, while 
Martin and I would take the more dangerous part of riding into 
the town in broad daylight, where we ran a double risk — first, of 
being shot as soldiers; second, of being hung as spies. Martin was 
to cut the guy ropes of the flag flying in the frequented, central 
courthouse square, and carry it out of town, while I acted as his 
rear guard, to shoot down with revolver any man who inter- 
fered with us, fully confident that we could get our guns in the 
thicket in time to kill the foremost of our pursuers, and escape 
while others were organizing pursuit. Just as we reached the 
thicket where Owen was to be left, a friend of Martin's, coming 
out of Owensboro, informed us that the Federals had left for 
Louisville, taking with them several prisoners. The reader may 
smile at the small outcome of such a big scheme, but 1 beg 
him to be patient. 

While we were still discussing this fiasco, fortune, as if 
pitying our keen chagrin, somewhat cheered our drooping spirits 
by sending down the road Major Kimbly, of the Federal army, 
who came dashing gaily along in a fine buggy drawn by a span 
of splendid horses, and beside him the radiant and charming 
Miss Georgia Shelby. We at once determined to capture the 
gallant Yankee and make him descend from his place beside 
his lovely companion. However ungallant this may seem, we 
were in dead earnest about carrying out our plan of " kicking 
up a rumpus," and to accomplish this we could not afford to 
let young ladies stand in our way, however lovely and accom- 
plished, for the South was greatly in need of her truant sons 
and they must be driven out of their soft places at all hazards. 
Not wishing to alarm the girl more than was necessary, and 
to avoid, if possible, a wild chase after the Federal, Martin and 
I made a detour and came to a point in the road where it ran 
around a high hill. Martin stationed himself on one side where 
he could easily catch the reins of the horse, and behind a tree, 
which served to screen him 'from flew, while I took position 
on the other, concealed by a large maple; both waited silently 
.for the coming of " the foe." Just as the unsuspecting Major 
was opposite us, Martin sprang out and seized the bridle, 
while I covered him with my gun. The young lady gave a 
slight scream at the sight of the two armed men, but I soon 
quieted her fears by saying, " I know both you and your father, 



THE MESSAGE IN CIPHER. 93 

Miss Shelby, and you shall not be hurt. We want only to ^ee 
the Major's papers." The frightened Federal at once handed 
me his furlough which I read, and then requested him politely to 
get out of the buggy, which request was readily complied with, 
for the poor fellow did not know what next would happen to 
him, and as he looked into our faces he decided that the best 
thing for him to do was to do our bidding. 1 informed him that 
his papers were from the wrong side, and that as he was now 
'' Down in Dixie " he would have to be held a prisoner. 1 then 
turned to Miss Shelby and said, as I lifted my hat, ''It is now 
my pleasure. Miss Georgie, to furnish you a much better escort 
than the one I have been compelled to deprive you "of, and one 
that will not give up his place to any three Yankees that might 
covet it. You can trust him to take you safe to your home, 
as blue coats inspire no fear in him and he will defend you from 
any danger that may arise; good evening." Miss Shelby made 
room for Martin upon the seat, and as he took the reins to drive 
off, she laughed a merry good-bye to me, and threw an amused 
glance at her forlorn-looking Yankee admirer, evidently perfectly 
willing to exchange a blue uniform for a gray. As Martin 
started off, with the intention of impressing upon the Federal 
officer's mind that 1 had a large force in reserve, I called out, 
"Tell Captain Ray to move his company up to the forks of 
the road, and Bennett to go at once to Slaughtersville." Martin's 
alert mind readily grasped the cue and he halloed back, " All 
right! I'll deliver your orders; but what must Captain Sanders 
do?" "He is already on his way to our headquarters," was the 
reply, and Martin passed on down the road. He was scarcely 
out of sight when a man on horseback with a bell in his hand 
came in view, leading a drove of mules, while another rode in 
the rear. Owen, who had just approached, was stationed in the 
road, and I gave orders for a halt. The drover was asked 
if he had any arms, and replied in the negative, adding that if 
he had we would never have stopped him. I inquired what he 
intended doing with his mules, and he said that he was taking 
them to Evansville to sell to the government. He was 
informed that there was a closer market for them; and 
he told us that it did not make any difference where he sold them, 
just so he got his money. I offered him Confederate money, but 
he refused anything but greenbacks or gold. 



94 



THE PART I S AN RANGERS. 



Mounting the crestfallen drover upon Martin's horse, 1 made 
him take an oath that he would not attempt to escape, gave 
Owen orders to fall in the rear and shoot the first man that left 
the trail, and then led the way through the woods to Fisher's 
Tavern, where Martin was to meet us. A few hours later he 
rejoined us, after having deposited his fair charge safe and 
smiling at her home. Martin was directed to conduct the men and 
horses to Slaughtersville, while I drove with Major Kimbly in 
his own buggy to Green River, where I turned him loose; a 
steamboat soon picked up and conveyed him to Louisville, 
where he complained to General Boyle, who ordered the provost 
guard at Henderson to levy an assessment on my friends and relatives 
to reimburse Kimbly for the loss of his horses as well as to soothe 
his sensitive feelings. 



CHAPTER XIL 

A BAND OF THREE. 

As soon as Martin, Owen and I heard of the arrival of the 
Federal provost guard, about eighty men, in Henderson, we de- 
termined to attack it. Having been born and reared in Henderson, 
I enjoyed the advantage of a thorough acquaintance with all its 
avenues, large and smiall. 

Ascertaining that the Federal force was occupying a two-story 
brick house opposite Barrett's factory, where 1 had spent some 
years of my business-life, 1 knew the most favorable point from 
which to make a nocturnal attack. Some time after dark our 
band of three reached Alves's woodlawn, where w^e hitched our 
horses and proceeded on foot to the factory-lot immediately 
opposite the Federals' quarters, who had no pickets, never 
dreaming that a force of less than three or four hundred men 
would dare to attack them, and knowing that there was no 
Confederate command of any size within striking distance of 
them. 

There was a plank fence sunken into an excavation on the side 
of the street opposite the Federal cantonment, and dropping 
into this ditch, behind the fence, we were completely hidden from 
the eyes of the guards. There was a street-lamp right in front 
of the double doors, which brought out in bold relief the forms 
of the Federal soldiers, but whose dim rays did not extend 
across the street. Two sentinels were parading up and down 
before the front door, to keep their comrades in rather than with 
any purpose of keeping danger out. The house was full of blue 

95 



96 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

coats and quite a number were sitting on the edge of the 
sidewalk. 

Captain Daily and Lieutenant Lyon were walking up and down 
the pavement, unconsciously tempting the markmanship of their 
antagonists, who felt indignant at the intended spoliation of their 
relatives and friends. I proposed to bring down the two officers with 
my shotgun, and Owen and Martin were to shoot the two 
sentinels, and then fire their other two barrels into Uie crowd. 

My shot was to be the signal. 1 waited until the two officers 
were opposite the doorful of men, and thea* fired both barrels 
almost simultaneously, while Martin and Owen followed in quick 
succession, all the guns being leveled on the top of the fence. The 
confusion produced by these six reports was very great, and 
those who were unhurt scrambled over one another in theif haste 
to get into the house. 

Stepping behind a pile of barrel staves, we rapidly reloaded our 
guns and ran around the building, to get another shot; the Federals 
had carried in their wounded and barricaded the doors. We 
found a sentinel in the rear, whom Martin wounded with his pistol, 
when, with a wild cry he fled to the back door, which was 
quickly closed and bolted, but not before we poured through it 
another volley. 

The Federals were too much demoralized to send out a scout 
to investigate the numbers of their antagonists, but blindly fired 
out of the upper windows all night at imaginary foes. One of 
their random shots, it was discovered next morning by the citizens, 
struck an old sow, and as she moved about, here and there lying 
down, leaving blood all around, these fine marksmen claimed 
they had hit many a rebel, who, either dead or wounded had 
been taken off the sanguinary field by their comrades. 

In the meantime, the assaulting army of three had remounted 
and ridden leisurely to Major Cragged Hatchett's farm, where 
we soundly slept till morning, having not the remotest idea we 
would be followed and disturbed. Here we remained until we 
could have the Evansville Journal brought to us, when we read 
the story of our adventure, introduced by the following head- 
lines in bold-faced type: 



A BAND OF THREE. 97 



"BLOODY WAR ON THE BORDER! 

Provost Guard Attacked by Three Hundred Guerrillas! After 
a Desperate Resistance of over Nine Hours They Suc- 
ceed in Driving the Enemy otT with Heavy 
Loss! Captain Daily, Lieutenant Lyon 
and Nine Privates Wounded." 

The Journal exaggerated the numbers of the attacking party 
by 297 only! 

Col. E. L. Starling, in his history of Henderson county, gives 
the true account of the numbers, and adds, ** Excitement in the 
town became intense. A citizens' meeting was held in Barrett's 
factory, at which resolutions strongly condemnatory of the course 
of Johnson were passed. A short time after this, and when 
Colonel Johnson had formed the nucleus of a regiment, he took 
possession of Henderson, and by his words and orders greatly relieved 
the anxiety of the people, especially those politically opposed to 
him.'* Let me add, that at this public meeting, ex-Governor 
Archibald Dixon was called to the chair and resolutions were 
passed to this effect, " that the attack upon the provost-guard 
was made by parties under no government; that they were guer- 
rillas and outlaws, and all law-abiding citizens should aid in their 
arrest and punishment." The document containing these resolutions 
was signed by a number of Union men, among them Governor 
Dixon and John Holloway. As soon as I read the resolutions 
in the newspaper I saw that it was imperatively necessary for 
the cause and policy 1 represented to adopt heroic measures. 
So riding with Martin at once to a little meadow adjoining the 
city of Henderson, on the 10th day of July, in the shade of some 
haystacks, I addressed the following communication to the citizens 
who had signed the offending resolutions: 

" Hon. Archibald Dixon, John Holloway and others : 
" Gentlemen : 

" I observe in the last issue of the Henderson Reporter a 
resolution signed by a number of your citizens, stating that the 
attack on the provost-guard at Henderson was made by a band 
of outlaws and guerrillas under the authority of no government, 
and demanding that the citizens should aid in their capture and 



I 

} 98 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

j punishment. Now, I declare that every man on our side who 

fired a gun upon that occasion was a Confederate soldier, and 
had special orders not to interrupt in any way any citizen on 
account of his politics. And so I consider that every man who 
signed that resolution has therefore placed himself outside the pale 
of citizenship; that he has declared war against the Confederate 
States and against us, and I inform you emphatically and plainly 
that if that resolution is not rescinded in the next issue of the 
paper, we will consider you as enemies and confiscate your 
property. Respectfully, 

ADAM R. JOHNSON, Comdg., etc." 

Henderson was full of soldiers, but Martin, with his charac- 
teristic, reckless daring, in company with William HoUis, who 
lived there, and had just joined us, coolly rode into town and 
delivered this written demand to Governor Dixon, in person. He 
then deliberately rode down to Quinn's livery stable and put 
up his horse, like the quiet country gentleman that he was! 

Here the officers' horses were quartered, and Martin, as he told 
me shortly after, intended to bring back the horse that best pleased 
his fancy. 

But he had other business to attend to first, and having no 
more fear of a spy's noose than he had of Yankee guns, he 
walked round to Dr. Thomas J. Johnson's residence. Mr. Robert 
Martin was entirely too punctilious a gentleman to enter the city 
of his best friend's father and not to call to pay his respects to 
the honored father. True, he knew the doctor was an uncom- 
promising Unionist, but he knew him to be a man of the 
highest sense of honor, one who would cut off his good right 
arm before he would betray such implicit, child-like confidence as 
would be reposed in him. Kentucky gentleman met Kentucky 
gentleman, the Kentucky Unionist met the Kentucky Dis-Unionist 
more than half way, for he insisted on his staying to dinner with 
him, which polite invitation was gracefully accepted. 

After dinner Martin walked to the parade grounds, took a seat 
upon the fence and calmly watched the Federals go through with 
their maneuvers, both infantry and artillery. His next neighbor 
en the fence was Robert Glass, whose brother Owen later joined 
my force, and was one of our best and bravest men until he 
was murdered after his capture near Morganfield. 



A BAND OF THREE. 99 

Having counted the number of Federals, Martin told Mollis, 
whom he met on the parade-grounds, to meet him in an 
hour on the Knoblick road, he himself intending in the interim 
to go back to the livery stable and ride away with that beautiful 
steed. When he reached the building he felt a little chagrined 
at finding nobody there to afford him the pleasurable excitement 
of contesting for the animal; so he rather tamely began to saddle 
his prize, intending to ride him and to lead his own. 

But at this moment, young Jimmie Quinn, a boy of eighteen 
years, appeared upon the stage. Being a youth of true Kentucky 
pluck, he did not allow his amazement to paralyze his action; 
he saw that his customer had made a mistake in the horse; 
Martin was mounted and just in the act of taking " French leave " 
of the establishment. Seizing the reins firmly, Jimmie demanded 
that he dismount at once, vowing that he shouldn't take that 
horse. Martin drew his revolver, stuck it into the boy's face and 
declared that if he did not immediately let go his bridle he would 
kill him. Quinn had no pistol with which to defend himself, 
but, looking Martin straight in the eye, he replied, " If you kill 
me, you will kill just as true a Confederate as you are; and if 
I let you take this horse, the Federals, who are aware of the 
political sentiments of our family, will think it was done with 
my connivance, and they will burn this stable, the only property 
of my father, an aged man. I'll die before you shall have the 
horse." 

Martin was too gallant a soldier an'd too true a man not to be 
moved by this brave protest, and getting down he changed his 
saddle to his own horse, relinquishing the coveted prize. He frankly 
commended the young man's conduct; for he could but 
admire a youth who, unarmed, had dared resist him so strenuously. 

Martin lost a splendid steed and at the same time an opportunity 
to emphasize the daring of his visit into Henderson by a 
brilliant finale, but -he won the approval of his own conscience 
and gained a most excellent Confederate soldier, in addition, for 
not long subsequently Jimmie Quinn joined our band. 

But Martin won another "feather in his cap," the complete 
success of his embassy to the Union leaders, for the very next 
issue of the Henderson Reporter contained a full retraction of 
the ill-advised pronunciamento which had denied that the men 
who had made the night attack on the provost guard were under 



LofC. 



100 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

the control of any government, and hence were guerrillas and 
outlaws ! 

Martin, Owen and 1 had now the satisfaction of reflecting that 
bur nocturnal venture had resulted in magnifying most extrav- 
agantly our real numbers. We had vindicated ourselves, too, 
against the charge of outlawry; and however the Union element 
might declare that our assault, under cover of darkness, was a 
miurderous aifair, we felt fully justified under the rules and usage 
of warfare, which lend their sanction to one party slipping upon 
their antagonists in the dark, or in ambushing them night or day. 

It might be added that with these advantages was the further 
fact that it gave us such a character for successful enterprise that 
many valuable recruits joined us at once. Among them were 
Captain Ray and Captain Bennett. Ray soon went to McLean 
county to gather other recruits, while Bennett and the men already 
enlisted remained with us at Slaughtersville, to which town we 
had proceeded on the conclusion of our aifairs at Henderson. 

I sent men into the counties of Henderson, Daviess and Union, 
with instructions to recruit men for the duty of picketing all the 
more important roads and demanding passports from citizens; 
thereby producing the impression that there were various, large, 
well-organized bodies scattered over that part of the State. From 
this time on almost every man that was seen in the woods was 
supposed to belong to my command, and the impression speedily 
spread that I commanded a large force. 

A new and serious peril now threatened this section of the 
State. The authorities in Louisville sent a cavalry, regiment to 
Madisonville with the loose and unwarrantable instructions to 
destroy by fire the houses of all the citizens that were giving 
aid to the Confederates. Of course the giving of a piece of 
bread or a glass of milk to a passing soldier could easily be 
construed into giving aid and comfort to the enemy. And the 
fact is, it was not necessary to prove such a charge as this, flimsy 
and insignificant as it was. All that was needed to have a 
comfortable home destroyed and its unfortunate inmates, old men, 
women and children, turned out into the street or woods, was 
for some Union foe to report such a charge, perhaps utterly false, 
against some one against whom he had either a political or private 
grudge: through envy, jealousy, or any base or petty motive, a 




COURT HOUSE, MADISONVILLE, KENTUCKY. 



A BAND OF THREE. 101 

Unionist could promote such incendiarism and cause great loss and 
suflfering- to Southern sympathizers. 

The names of many of the most prominent men in and around 
Slaughtersville were on the black list, and it was terrible for me 
to contemplate the misery to which these good people would be 
subjected. I had at this moment six men to depend on; the others 
were scattered far and wide. I got these men around me and 
told them that we must do something to prevent this great calamity 
or we must leave the country at once. They promised to do 
whatever I said; so we repaired to an old briar-field near Madi- 
sonville, a place well suited for an ambuscade. It was full of gullies 
and small ravines thickly grown with blackberry vines and running 
back to the woods. We cut our way through the briars up to 
the road, divided the force into three little parties, Martin with 
two men on the right, and Bennett with two men on the left, 
while I stood in the middle ravine and was to fire the first gun. 
Bennett and I were to keep up the fire, while Martin was to make 
a circuit to the rear as soon as he had emptied his first guns. This 
was a small force to fight over three hundred men, but the 
desperate conditions required desperate measures. I knew from 
the looks of my men that they were sufficiently resolute, and 
Iheir subsequent history proved that I was correct. Let me 
record their names: Robert M. Martin, Jake Bennett, F. A. Owen, 
Tom Gooch, John Conelly, and Marion Myers. We lay in our 
trenches all day, but for some reason the Federals did not come 
out. I told the boys at night that we would try to play Gideon 
of old on the enemy, and we mounted our horses and rode through 
the woods to the rear of their encampment. Here was wood- 
lawn about a mile from Madisonville, from which a corn field 
extended nearly to the enemy's camp. Tying our horses, we 
proceeded through the corn field and got safe to the fence close 
to the camp. Each man was to take a corner of the fence, which 
was an old style rail or worm fence, and was to slip through and 
stand until I had disposed of the camp guard. There was a barn 
near where I was to cross the fence, and the beat of the guard 
was about thirty steps in front. Just as I dropped to the ground, 
the guard came walking hastily to the barn, and sat down in the 
door, throwing his gun across his lap. I stepped out with my 
gun to my shoulder and cleared my throat so as to attract his 
attention, but doubtless he thought I was one of his comrades 



102 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

trying- to frighten him, for he sat still, and I lowered my gun a 
little and fired. He pitched forward, and there was then a mighty 
rush from the barn, which seemed to be full of sleeping soldiers. 
One of these fired a pistol so near me that the powder burnt 
my face, and I gave him a load of buckshot in the back as he ran. 
The rush of these men, followed by our yelling and shooting, carried 
terror and dismay into the camp, and the Federals fled wildly 
into the woods, leaving us in possession of the camp. Knowing 
that there was a heavy picket force a short distance away, and 
bearing in mind the smallness of our own force, we at once 
retreated to our horses and returned to our ambush on the road. 
The Federal officers, who, we afterward learned, were staying in 
Madisonville, had left the men without leaders, and when the 
soldiers reached town they exaggerated our numbers so that they 
remained there all night, and did not return to their camp until next 
morning. 

On examining the corn field whence we had made the attack, 
and finding it full of tracks they themselves had made the day 
before, they gave us credit for a force of fifteen hundred men. 
Making a forced march to Henderson, they embarked for Louisville, 
leaving the country free and without burning a single house. 

This proved to be a " glorious victory." The citizens were 
jubilant, and gave us the credit of saving their property, and all 
united to aid us in raising men. It was not an hour after the 
Federals had left Madisonville before I put scouts on their trail. 
By noon we had learned their destination, and having received 
some twenty recruits, I moved down in the vicinit}^ of Henderson. 
I went into the towTi that night and had an inter\dew with Uncle 
John Barrett and Phil. Mathews. I learned from them that the 
enemy hadjeft on a steamboat. I told them I would march into 
town the next day. They notified the city officers and they came 
out to meet me on the road and surrender the city. The whole 
delegation was composed of true friends of the Confederacy. The 
mayor of the city, Ed. Hall, was afterwards one of my captains. 
The county judge, Luke Trafton, although he had but one arm, 
became one of my quartermasters. The Hon. John Young Brown, 
who was afterwards governor of the State, was one of the party. 
They all seemed astonished at the small number of men with 
me. They told me a gunboat was lying off the to\vn on the river. 
I asked them if it would require more men than I had to take 




JOHN H. BARRET. 



A BAND OF THREE. 103 

the city. They assured me that there was going to be no fight, 
and I told them that I wanted only men enough to do a certain 
job, but if it took more I could soon gather them. They were 
anxious to know what would be my course toward the Union 
men. 1 told them that my letter to Governor Dixon would 
continue to be my policy. They said that a large number of the 
residents had gone across the river and would wait over there to 
hear from me. On learning my determination, they returned 
with Governor Dixon at their head. When I occupied the city, 
they all called on me at my quarters. 1 raised the Confederate 
flag over the court house, but in a few hours received notice 
from Captain Perkins of the gunboat that if it was not pulled 
down he would shell the city. This created a great alarm among 
the citizens, and they with the captain as envoy came to see me, 
and tried to get me to haul down my flag. I determined that the 
flag should float as long as I occupied the town, so I kept the 
envoy until I was ready to leave, then moved out just before 
dark with the flag flying at the head of my little army. The band 
of three had become a troop. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE CAPTURE OF NEWBURG. 



While camped on the Soaper farm, where there was a cross- 
road leading toward Newburg', on the opposite bank of the Ohio, 
I was informed that there were hundred of stands of guns in 
the arsenal of this town, and immediately determined to make an 
effort to capture them. As soon as the men had eaten supper, I 
gave the command to saddle up, and soon the little troop of 
twenty-seven men were en route. We crossed Green river at the 
ferry near its mouth, and by ten o'clock next morning were 
opposite the little Hoosier city. I had learned that the guns were 
in a two-story brick house, the nearest house to the river. Halting 
the party, I went forward with Martin to reconnoiter, in the 
edge of the wood. The prize lay in plain view, being Colonel 
Bethel's storehouse full of guns, standing out in front of the town 
proper. I perceived that if, with two men in a small boat I 
should cross immediately in front of that building and get pos- 
session of it, we could hold it until Martin with his squad, crossing 
several squares above, could fight their way to me, should they 
meet with opposition. If Martin was opposed I was to set fire 
to the houses between us by shooting burning material into their 
shingled roofs. Our forces once united, the captured arms would 
be placed in skiffs that lay on the shore near by and rowed to 
the Kentucky shore under the protectk»n of guns held by men in 
the house. Then these were to set fire to the arsenal and cross 
themselves. 

When I had unfolded this scheme to Martin, instead of pro- 

104 




HOTEL, NEWBURG. INDIANA. 



THE CAPTURE OF NEWBURG. 105 

nouncing* it impossible and foolhardy this daring spirit endorsed 
it at once. But the work must be accomplished quickly, if at all, 
for Newburg was connected by telegraph with Evansville, only twelve 
miles off, where was a large force of soldiers, with passports and 
gunboats. We went back to our little force, which was at once 
formed into line and dismounted; whereupon I informed the men 
that I contemplated undertaking a dangerous enterprise, but I 
desired no man whose hand and heart did not feel equal to the 
occasion. In my address, among other things, to put their mettle 
to the touch, I said : '' Soldiers, as soon as you reach the other 
side of the Ohio, you will be standing upon a powder magazine, 
and cowardice would be the match to ignite it. All who are 
willing and confident take a step to the front." As one man the 
entire body made one step forward. I ordered the horses to be 
placed where they would make as big a show as possible to the 
people on the other side, and from two pairs of old wagon wheels, 
with their axles, and a stovepipe and a charred log, I soon had 
manufactured two of the most formidable-looking pieces .of 
artillery into whose gaping mouths a scared people ever looked. 

Martin, with his twenty-four men, moved quickly toward the 
ferryboat, while I, taking Felix Akin and Frank Amplias Owen, 
both of whom afterward became commissioned officers, directed . 
my boat straight for the Bethel building; our guns lay in the 
bottom of the boat. As soon as we landed we secured our skiff, 
and in a few minutes reached the front of the house, the doors 
of which. were standing open, with the prized guns in sight. Under 
the opinion that all the guns were in our grasp, and no guard 
about, we felt secure till Martin should come up; closing the 
doors, we began hastily to barricade them and the windows. 
While thus employed, I observed a number of unarmed men 
running into a hotel not far above this place, and concluded that 
I would go and quiet their fears. Martin had just landed and I 
was sure he would be at the Bethel house in a few moments. 
Just before reaching the hotel, I saw a man put his head out of 
one of its windows, holding in his hand a cartridge box. This 
made me uneasy, for 1 knew if these men were armed they might 
give me a severe fight, with the advantage of being inside of 
houses and not exposed, and if they were numerous, my 
chances of carrying off the guns might be small, particularly as 
the Bethel building commanded the river. By stepping forward 



106 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

quickly, I came to the large double doors of the hotel, and looked 
upon about eighty men, with their rifles cocked, all ready to fire. 
The muzzles of the cocked rifles of the front rank were in my 
face; hesitation meant failure and death. I did not halt. Com- 
manding them in a loud voice not to fire a gun or snap a cap, 
I pushed aside the rifles of the front rank with my shotgun and 
walked right in among them, telling them if they put down 
their guns before my men came in not one of them should be 
hurt. At once they stacked their arms. Urging the v/hole crowd 
of them up the stairs, I drove them into the large dining-room at 
the head of the steps, and taking my place in the doorway with 
my gun in hand, I bid them keep quiet. Hardly had I done this 
when I heard footsteps on the rear stairs, and an officer burst 
into the room from the door on the opposite side. His whole 
face was blazing with excitement. ''' Where are our guns ? " hft 
asked excitedly, then catching sight of me he rushed towards me. 
When about twenty feet of me, I covered him with my gun and 
told him that if he came a step farther 1 would fill him with 
buckshot. Catching my eye and seeing I meant what I said, he 
froze to the spot, but his blazing eyes and foaming lips showed 
his anger. He was a' superb specimen of manhood, and dressed 
in full uniform, he looked the typical soldier. He did not consent 
to surrender till some one called out, ''They've got all the streets 
guarded, and are coming this way." His face then fell and he 
went reluctantly among his men. I told him to get his muster 
rolls and I would parole his men. As soon as Martin found out 
that I was at the hotel he came on the double-quick to my relief. 
I ordered wagons to be "pressed," and the arms loaded into them 
at once. Soon we had two wagonloads of arms on the way to 
Dixie. I was now notified that the home guards were forming 
to attack us, and their Colonel, Bethel, was pointed out standing 
on the bank of the river, near his store. The guards were rep- 
resented as being two hundred and fifty strong. Our position, 
therefore, was still very perilous, and required prompt action. 
Leaving Martin to guard the prisoners, I v/alked down to where 
Colonel Bethel and several excited citizens were talking. I began 
the conversation abruptly by saying, '' Gentlemen, I hear that 
there is a home guard near town that is about to attack me, and 
I must say that I came here to get these guns, I have them, and 



THE CAPTURE OF NEJVBURG. 107 

I purpose to keep them; I want nothing more and do not intend 
io disturb any of the citizens or any of their property, but if I am 
hindered or fired on, I'll shell this town to the ground." 

Addressing Colonel Bethel, I said, " I see, sir, that you have 
a field-glass and by looking across the river you can see that I 
am prepared to carry out my threat." I saw the captain glance 
at his house, and as it was the largest and most prominent building 
near the river, he probably reflected that it would be the first 
knocked down. Turning pale, he sent his runners at once to 
stop his men from coming in. Martin, with the last load of guns 
was soon crossing the river, and I, with my " body-guard " of 
two men, walked quickly down, and pushed off into the river, 
unmolested; we bent to our oars and made the water foam, being 
in a hurry, for we were hardly half way across the river when 
the whole town was swarming with the home guards. They 
shot down two of their owm citizens, but never fired a shot at us, 
our terrible cannon keeping them in order. I now saw the 
black smoke of a gunboat around the bend, and that reminded 
me that we were still in a very perilous position, being on a 
long, narrow peninsula between the Ohio and Green rivers. 
The mouth of Green river was two miles below us, and if the 
Federals should run a force up that river they would have us 
cut oiT entirely. Resolving to make an effort to prevent this, 
as soon as I landed I took Jack Thompson, Julius George and 
John Patterson, and galloped down to the mouth of the river. 
By the time we got there both a gunboat and a transport were in 
sight. Placing George and Thompson on the extreme point that 
was covered with brush, I told them that, if the transport made 
an effort to come up the river, they must fire the first barrel of 
their shotguns at the soldiers, and if that did not stop the boat, 
to shoot the pilot. The channel ran right under this point, and 
thus the boat had to run very close to the shore. The steamboat, 
loaded with soldiers, came directly to the mouth of the river, and 
when about fifty yards from the point, my men fired as directed, 
and to my relief the captain reversed the wheel and turned back. 
Patterson, whom I had sent across Green river, in his delight at 
seeing the boat run off, fired his gun, and yelling with all his 
might, made them believe there was a force there also. The 
ruse succeeded to my intense satisfaction; the transport ran back 



108 ,THE PART IS AN RANGERS. 

until she got in tlie rear of the gunboat, and that boat lay to 
and shelled the point for several hours, giving us time to escape. 

The employment of sham cannon at the capture of Newburg 
served to amuse our people, and some wag referred to me as 
*' stovepipe Johnson " — a title which seemed to so tickle the fancy 
of the Southern sympathizers that they took it up and spread it 
far and wide throughout Kentucky and the South. This sobriquet, 
at first facetiously applied, has stuck to me, and I am dis- 
tinguished by it to this day. 

The effect of this little expedition was far-reaching. Troops 
were massed at all the principal towns on the Ohio river, and 
along the Louisville and Nashville railroad. Newburg was the 
first town captured north of Mason and Dixon's line. The 
Northern papers greatly magnified my force, and the London 
Times had a lengthy editorial upon the importance of the capture 
of Henderson and Newburg; and as Henderson was a great 
tobacco market, the price of that weed suddenly rose. 



\ 



/ 



1 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE BRECKINRIDGE GUARDS. 

Our activity and appearance at points far distant, at short in- 
tervals, caused the Federal authorities to believe I had a large 
command, and this induced them to greatly increase their forces 
throughout a large section of Kentucky, thus preventing the 
augmentation of their armies in the South. And so it was that 
this swiftly moving little band accomplished results totally 
incommensurate with its size. 

Moreover, the increasing fame of these rangers drew to them 
many kindred spirits. The band of three had now become a battal- 
ion, and was called " The Breckinridge Guards." 

Another ruse now magnified in the minds of the Federals the 
numbers under my command, and that was my requiring recruiting 
officers in the different counties to picket the various roads, as if 
they had many military camps. 

The people of Newburg were greatly chagrined and exasperated 
when they found that a mere handful of men had captured their 
town and guns without the loss of a man, or even having 
a shot fired at them, and Colonel Bethel determined to wipe out 
the disgrace. So mustering about one hundred mounted men and 
obtaining some three hundred infantry from the troops at Evans- 
ville, they were marched under his command to capture Slaughters- 
ville which was then considered the headquarters of " the guerrillas," 
and also with the full determination to burn the houses of citizens in 
that vicinity, forgetting the forbearance of their chief antagonist 
when he had the town of Newburg at his mercy. The second 
night they camped at the Slaughter farm, about six miles from 

109 



110 THE PART IS AN RANGERS^ 

my headquarters. I had less than fifty men at this point, but, 
dividing them into four parties, I attacked the Yankee pickets on 
the different roads and drove them pell-mell upon the main 
body, who now fully believed that they were entirely surrounded. 
Captain Lorenzo Fisher, a gallant young officer, with a small 
force, ambushed this comparatively large force on their way 
toward Henderson, and wounded the colonel and several of his 
men, the command reaching the Ohio in a rather demoralized 
condition, and happy to get safe to the river. But they had 
managed in some way to capture John Patterson, one of our 
bravest soldiers, who in their wrath was shot through the head by 
a home guard, so it was said, and left for dead on the road. He 
did not die, but the ball destroyed his eyesight for life. 

A month or so after this I decided to publish the following 
proclamation : 

''Headquarters Breckinridge Guards, August 11, 1862. 

" Citizens of Kentucky : 

" For the love of liberty, and the homes of those you hold 
dearer than all, will you stand still and inactive, while the enemies 
of your country are attempting to fetter your wrists 
and consign you to a slavery, compared with which, the most 
absolute despotism in Europe would soften to a mild and humane 
form of government? Can the infatuation of seeming peace and 
quiet in favored sections, where the insolent foe has never pen- 
etrated, but v/hose hands are red with ruin for the destruction of 
your rights, blink at the terrible ordeal through which you must 
pass, unless you raise your proud and strong arm to hurl back 
the blow, uplifted to immolate you? The Lincoln Government, 
while pretending protection, is despoiling you of your property, 
and robbing you of your liberty. Who has ever heard of a free 
people that' were not allowed the right of suffrage at the ballot 
box? What other people but Kentuckians would tamely submit 
to being mobbed and driven from their rights by a horde of 
Northern vandals? Oh! Kentucky! you are indeed lost to your 
glory and sunk in your worth, degenerate sons of noble sires! 
You are now writing one of the most shameful pages of your 
country's hjstory. You are entailing upon your offspring a shame 
that will follow them for generations. You must see that you 
are not allowed to remain neutral in this struggle. It can not 




BARNEY SISK HILL, 
Headquarters of 10th Ky. Partisan Rangers. 



] 



1 



THE BRECKIX RIDGE GUARDS. Ill 

be that, serpent-like, you intend to sting the hand that warms 
you to life — that you will aid the Lincoln despot to rob your 
sister States of their property, when the same ruin that sweeps 
over the South will desolate Kentucky. Fellow citizens, I believe 
that Kentucky can rescue herself, if she will only make the effort. 
Already thousands of our gallant sons have armed themselves 
with the deadly shotgun and unerring ritle, and are determined 
to strike a blow for liberty. All such are branded by the Lin- 
colnites as guerrillas. I can assure you, fellow citizens, that 
all who are now enrolled under me are recognized by the Con- 
federate government. If those cowardly thieves beyond the Ohio 
river wish to be convinced, let them offer oue of my men for 
exchange, then it will be time to doubt my authority. All those 
who disregard my parole will do so at their peril. No govern- 
ment has a right to force men into such a situation, but if they 
permit it I warn them that if caught, they shall be subjected to 
the penalty of their faithless violation. I now say to all persons 
who have been led to believe that they will be molested by me 
or by my men because they are Union men, that I have given 
strict orders against it and intend to enforce my orders. 1 have 
also given orders that from and after this date I will punish all 
citizens who aid Federal forces, and will treat them as I would 
treat a spy. All those who belong to the so called ' home guard,' 
that come forward and give up their arms and take an oath not 
to fight against us, shall, under no circumstances, be molested. All 
persons who were elected to office in those counties where the 
election was suppressed and who attempt to hold office will be 
treated as enemies. Any one levying or causing an execution to 
be levied on the property of any soldier under me, or in any 
department of the Confederate army, will be treated as an enemy 
to our cause and country. I challenge comparison between the 
acts of the so called guerrillas, and those protectors from Indiana 
who so recently claim to be guardians of your rights and property;. 
I announce to those men who are engaged in robbing and 
murdering our citizens, and insulting our women, whose style of 
warfare is as merciless as any in the annals of Indian barbarities, 
that whenever and wherever found, my brave rangers will inflict 
the penalty that such off'enders deserve. 

" ADAM R. JOHNSON, 

" Commanding Breckinridge Guards." 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE RANGERS^ FLAG. 

\ 

Our successful ventures brought recruits until the command 
BOW numbered three hundred men. I established headquarters in 
Union county where five or six companies were organizing. The 
arms that were captured at Newburg, Indiana, were distributed, 
but it became necessary to secure an additional number of guns. 
Understanding that a goodly store of them was in Hopkinsville, 
with two hundred men I made a forced march to this city. 
Arriving about daylight, we surprised the home guards and captured 
the place without firing a gun. We secured over one hundred 
stands of arms, but still being short of ammunition, I determined 
to make an effort to take Clarksville, Tennessee, where the 
Federals had a large depot of army supplies of all descriptions. 
In this undertaking Colonel Tom Woodward co-operated with 
about one hundred men. Leaving Hopkinsville just about dusk, 
we reached Clarksville at break of day. Learning that the com- 
mandant's sleeping apartment was in the city, and his military 
headquarters at the college in the suburbs, I made an arrangement 
with Colonel Woodward, that he should move the main force 
against the college, with the special understanding that he was 
to push the men right up to the breastworks and demand an im- 
mediate surrender of the enemy behind them. I hastened to the 
Federal colonel's room, but found that he had hurriedly escaped 
through the back way and had run to the college, reaching there just 
as Woodward was surrounding it. Following close in his wake, I 
came up on the side of the building opposite to Martin and 

112 




MRS. J. J. MASSIE, Fort Worth, Texas. 

(Nee Miss Tennie Moore of Clarksville, Tenn.) 



V 

i 

i 



1 



THE RAXGERS' FLAG. 113 

Woodward. Discovering that the enemy were parleying as to 
surrender, I decided to rush into the college, find the colonel and 
compel him to surrender. Giving Captain Fisher and the other 
captains orders to come immediately to me, if they heard firing 
within the building, I sprang over the picket fence, entered the house 
and ran up the stairs to Colonel Mason's room. There was but 
one sentinel on the upper floor, and leveling my pistol at him, 
I ordered him to open the door to the commandant's apartment. 
The command was obeyed, and on entering the room, I found the 
colonel in his night-clothes and four of his officers gathered 
around him. The Union commander was very pale and 
excited and decidedly in favor of surrender. Three of the captains 
sided with him, while the other fiercely opposed the proposition. 
Why these belligerents were not downstairs commanding and 
supporting their companies who were hesitating and wavering as 
to what course to pursue, I do not undertake to say. 

But I had the drop on them, which gave me an advantage from 
which they could not recover, and the entire surrender was soon 
made without the firing of a gun inside or outside of the headquarters. 

The beautiful little city of Clarksville, Tennessee, was one of the 
truest Southern towns, and her people had suffered many imposi- 
tions at the hands of Colonel Mason and his men, and on the 
arrival of our little Confederate command, all of its inhabitants, 
old and young, turned out to joyfully welcome us as their deliverers 
from the hated " blue-coats." Their delight was shown to the 
boys in gray in the most extravagant ways, for these sons and 
daughters of the South were hilarious over being no longer 
virtually the prisoners of the Federals, under whose rule they had 
been unwilling subjects. 

During the day, I received a polite notification that the ladies 
of Clarksville wished me to appear the next morning to receive 
in the name of our soldier boys a silk banner that had eluded 
the search of the Federals who had spent days in trying to find 
its hiding place, but found both the search and threats they had 
made of no avail. Now this precious bit of silk was to be 
presented to this Confederate command, and I felt deeply the 
honor to be conferred upon us. On reaching the appointed place 
I found a large and enthusiastic crowd gathered to witness the 
presentation of the flag, and my heart warmed toward these 
courageous townfolk who were braving the displeasure of the 



114 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Federals and risking imprisonment, fme and petty persecution at 
the hands of the enemy, for the sake of rewarding these soldiers 
of the South who were attempting to defend their rights and 
protect their homes and loved ones. 

Miss Tennie Moore, one of Clarksville's most beautiful and 
attractive young ladies, stepped forth from the crowd and ap- 
proached me, and with her fair face alight with enthusiasm 
and patriotism, and the pretty banner draped around her slender 
form, said in a clear, distinct voice: 

'' Colonel Johnson, this flag was made for a band of heroes 
who left this lovely little city to fight for their beloved country; 
but by the fortunes of war we have been cut off from communi- 
cation with them, therefore it has been impossible for this S3'mbol 
of the cause for which they are fighting to reach its destination. 
The Federal authorities have sought for this banner unceasingly 
and have heaped many indignities upon us, but through the love 
and fidelity of this old slave, we have been able to preserve it 
from the cowardly miscreants." (An old black mammy 
interrupted by stepping forward, her wrinkled, black face 
shining with pride, and patting herself proudly upon the breast as 
she bobbed her turbaned head, said, grinning broadly, " That's 
me.") '' Now that another band of heroes has rescued us from 
the hateful bondage of these blue-coated Unionists, we wish to 
present, through you, this banner to your gallant boys, who, we 
feel, will never allow it to trail in the dust of defeat. (Moving 
forward. Miss Moore placed the flag in my hands, continuing) :. 
"Colonel Johnson, we place this banner oi the stars and bars in 
your hands with the full assurance that its bright colors of red,. 
white and red will be a beacon to light 3'ou and your brave 
followers to more glorious victories." 

To this eloquent address, I replied: "Miss Moore, accepting this 
beautiful symbol of the Southern Cause from one of the fairest 
daughters of Tennessee, 1 feel the inspiration of the heroic sen- 
timents expressed by you, and assure you that all that man can 
do to justify your confidence will be done by the brave 
men of my command. My heart is too full to express my 
appreciation of this great honor conferred by you, but knowing 
that it is deeds, not words, that must win the battle for the South, 
I promise you that we will try to prove on the battlefield that 
we will be loyal to your trust." I raised the flag, whose silken. 



THE RANGERS' FLAG. 115 

folds were to inspire us with nobler deeds of heroism for the 
South, and handed it to Colonel R. M. Martin. 

In this loyal little town a company was raised by one of its 
principal citizens, Wm. Marr, and it joined the Partisan Rangers 
v/ith him as captain. Aside from this valuable reinforcement, a 
more material and important advantage was won for the Con- 
federates in this capture, as for some time Clarksville was an 
open passway from western Kentucky to the South, through which 
many needful supplies were conveyed to the Confederate army. 

Colonel Woodward's command, a most efficient body, did 
especially good work in capturing and destroying Red River 
bridge, thus cutting off railroad communication between Nashville 
and the Federal army. The officers of this gallant little command 
were gentlemen of standing and all its men true sons of old 
Kentucky. 

I paroled the three hundred and seventy prisoners and sent 
them to Fort Donelson, as 1 wished to be relieved of a great 
incumbrance and would not risk trying to send them South through 
the enemy's lines. Besides the capture of these men, we obtained 
five hundred guns, and a million dollars worth of army supplies, 
including several thousand wagons. 

These five enterprises had followed in rapid succession : the attack 
upon the provost guard at Henderson, the capture of Newburg, 
the fight at Madisonville, and the taking of Hopkinsville and 
Clarksville, were accomplished without the loss of a man, a 
sufficiently satisfactory record when we add important later results, 
speedily ensuing, namely, the securing for the South some 
thousands of fine young soldiers and compelling the Federal 
military authorities to keep large forces scattered through western 
Kentucky — forces which otherwise would have strengthened their 
armies in their progress southward. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

I now began to consider the capture of Fort Donelson. En- 
couraged by late successes, I felt sure my plans would not fail, 
and hurried matters to a finish. On the eve of starting, a dis- 
patch was received from Madisonville bringing news of the 
advance of the Federal officer, Colonel John Foster, upon that 
town with a strong force. Entrusting the Fort Donelson expedition 
to Colonel Woodward, with one man I rode through to Mad- 
isonville that night. Captain Sam Taylor and Captain Al. 
Fowler, two most gallant and reliable officers, were sent, with 
about one hundred men, to ambush Foster and delay the Federals 
until I could move the captured Federal supplies out of town. 
This Avas accomplished. The cautious, dilatory, even timid manner 
of Foster's approach upon Madisonville convinced me that I had 
little to fear from this Yankee colonel; therefore the supplies were 
moved only about six miles, to a rough little mountain, Barney 
Sisk Hill. " 

As Colonel Foster had allowed less than a hundred men ta 
hold his regiment in check and drive him back nearly a mile, I 
believed he could be kept in Madisonville until my command could 
arrive from Clarksville. Dividing my present force intO' three 
parties, one under Captain Sam Ta3dor, and the second under 
Captain Fowler, while the third was under my own direction, I 
attacked their pickets on the three main roads and drove them 
on the main body, making such a demonstration that our enemies 
were confident that it was my entire command so resolutely driving 
in their men. The next morning I picketed the main roads 

116 




U ft-^^'i T vjy 



LIEUTENANT COLONEL G. WASH. OWEN, 
10th Ky., Partisan Rangers. 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 117 

dose up to Madisonville, and fired upon the Federal pickets 
repeatedly. Foster, believing that he was entirely surrounded by 
a superior force, started a negro to Henderson with dispatches 
asking for reinforcements, but the messenger was captured as he 
was trying to slip through the Confederate lines. 

When 1 found that this little strategem had succeeded so well, 
1 sent a courier to Martin with orders to take his command to 
a designated point between Madisonville and the Ohio River. 
1 hastened to meet Martin at the appointed place (Given's Farm), 
and then with our reunited forces pushed on to Uniontown, where 
a Federal regiment was stationed, commanded by Colonel Farrow, 
it was my intention to surprise the Federals, but at nightfall a 
drizzling rain began to descend, making it so dark that it was 
impossible to see one's hand before one's face, and men were 
sent in advance to build fires so that we could proceed, but we 
were compelled to go so slowly that it was not until the next 
morning at ten o'clock that we reached our destination; we found 
the enemy in line of battle ready to dispute any further advance. 
I rapidly formed my men, placing a six-pounder on the right 
under the command of Lieutenant Cromwell, with instructions to 
keep it trained upon the front line. Young Cromwell proved a 
competent and courageous officer. Lieutenant Colonel Martin 
flanked the Federals on the right, while I led the center, myself. 
After a short fight, the enemy was driven back into the town, 
where a capture of the whole force was made. Immediately 
after the surrender I went to the Federal colonel's headquarters 
and found him much excited, as he had been told that he need 
expect no quarter, for the rebels were only a band of guerrillas 
intent upon butchery. He had told his men that they were sure 
to be slaughtered if they fell into the hands of this band, and 
they were anxious to know their fate. His relief, upon being 
told that they were not to be injured, but paroled and turned 
loose, was almost ludicrous. 

Colonel Farrow, like his confrere. Mason, had committed many 
depredations upon the good people of Union county, and fearing 
just vengeance was anxious to put the Ohio River between himself 
and his victors, as he was afraid they would punish him for his 
cowardly treatment of the good citizens of the captured town. 
The waters of that river, however, could no more make clean 
his guilty fingers than could the waters of the sea take the blood 



118 THE P ART I S AN RANGERS. 

from the hand of Macbeth. I found about fifty thousand dollars in 
bonds, which Farrow had extracted from the wealthy citizens of 
Union county and which I promptly burned. After paroling the 
Federals all the captured guns and camp supplies were loaded 
upon wagons and moved to Gieger's Lake. 

As another illustration of the conduct of this unprincipled Union 
officer, I was shown a receipt for six thousand dollars which he had 
compelled the Union county people to surrender to' him under 
the threat of instant imprisonment if they refused, alleging as a 
reason for so doing that some of the guerrillas had murdered one 
Hanks, a Federal soldier. These citizens, knowing that Hanks 
had been slain in fair warfare by some of my soldiers, were, 
nevertheless, forced to submit to these indignities. 

At this time I contemplated attacking Henderson, but on ascer- 
taining that more than half of our horses were unfit for the 
expedition, and that Shackleford and Foster, with a strong force, 
far outnumbering mine, were moving against me, I ordered my 
men to scatter through the country, to rendezvous at some future 
time and place. Retaining about sixty men, some of whom 
were on the sick list, I moved down to go into camp at Gieger's 
Lake. This was a beautiful sheet of water in the river bottom 
near the Burbank farm, in whose clear depths were many fine 
fish, and almost surrounded "by trees, thus forming an ideal place 
for camping, hunting and fishing. Our tents had scarcely been 
pitched, when reliable information reached me that Shackelford 
was following me, having learned that I had all the arms and 
equipments captured the day before, and that my force was now 
small. I prepared to meet the enemy as best I could with such 
an inferior command. Martin, with less than fifty men, was placed 
on the main road to ambush the Federals, while I remained 
in camp with thirteen soldiers who were victims of chills and 
fever. A picket was placed on a by-road that was the only 
route accessible except the one on which Martin was lying in 
wait for the first advance of the enem.y. I ordered the sick 
men to saddle their horses and hold themselves in readiness to 
move at any moment. Shackelford having been informed of the 
disposition of the Confederate troops made his approach by the 
by-road, thus avoiding Martin's ambuscade. The firing of the 
picket gave my little force timely warning, and instantly mounting, 
we galloped around the lake. The tardy movement of th^ 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 119 

Federals gave us time to reach the other side of the lake, secrete 
ourselves and horses in the thick undergrowth, and wait behind 
the trees, In^Jan fashion, to fire upon the first foe that presented 
himself. It was about a hundred yards across this body of 
water to where our tents were pitched. The advance skirmishers, 
finding the camp abandoned, notified their commander, who 
ordered them to mount and galloped at their head into the 
deserted camp ground, and ascertaining the report to be true, 
formed his force on the bank of the lake. But a sudden con- 
centrated fire from my band of thirteen sent them in disorder 
back into the woods. Shackelford ordered his men to dismount, 
and skirmishing behind the trees, returned the fire from across the 
water. 

Martin, hearing the report of the guns, with his usual quickness 
comprehended the situation -and at once started to the assistance 
of his comrades. His pitth led him through an old field well 
grown up with iron-weeds which completely concealed his 
movements from the foe, who were absorbed in their intention of 
capturing my squad. As was his custom, Lieutenant Colonel Martin, 
rode in advance of his men, his passion for scouting always having 
a strong hold upon him. Here, he again performed one of those 
daring, reckless feats that were characteristic of him, and which 
had won him a widespread reputation for bravery. Martin 
purposed to ascertain in person the exact number of the opposing 
force, and get them to turn their fire upon his soldiers that 
were concealed in the iron-weeds. Immediately in front of him 
were two small fields divided by a narrow lane, and he boldly 
took his way down this roadway as if he were out for a pleasure 
ride instead of for the purpose of attracting toward himself the 
fire of the Federal guns. Upon reaching the edge of a wood he 
looked back and observed that the Federals had thrown a body 
of men on either side of the lane for the evident purpose of 
intercepting him. Without a moment's hesitation he put his 
horse into, a gallop and pursued his way down the road as con- 
fidently as if he were backed by a hundred of his gallant boys. 

The Yankees at once turned their guns upon his mocking 
figure, shooting his hat oif, piercing his clothes, and wounding 
his horse, but Martin seemed to be in his element, and only 
shook his fist at them and laughed in his loud, merry way, and 
wheeled his horse and sped back toward his command, the bullets 



120 THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 

nipping the air as they flew dose about him. The Federals 
followed a short distance behind him. Upon reaching the iron- 
weed thicket where his trusty soldiers had stood watching with 
mingled admiration and wonder their heroic leader, he once 
more became the cool, calm commander, dropping all his defiant 
rashness and giving his attention to the rapid forming of his men 
to meet the charge of the fast approaching enemy. Unlimbering 
his little cannon, Martin loaded it to the muzzle with minie 
balls and stood ready to discharge it at the Federals when they 
were near enough for an effective fire. When within a hundred 
yards a rapid fire of small arms was poured into the advancing 
foe and Martin sent, with unerring aim, the contents of the 
noisy little cannon into the front ranks. This served to undo 
the Union soldiers as well as wound Shackelford in the foot, and 
the whole party beat a hasty retreat, leaving the Confederates in 
undisputed possession of their army supplies. 

Several things occurred in this fight to add to Shackelford's 
discomfiture. Martin's cannon was drawn by two large mules, 
one of which a small boy rode, and on unlimbering this piece of 
artillery, the mules had become frightened at the firing and rushed 
out into the open, dragging the limber-box behind them. The 
brave little fellow gripped the reins tightly, and pulling with all 
his might at last got them back into the iron-weeds, but was 
unable to manage them, and this feat was repeated several times 
right in full view of the Federals, the limber-box still hitched to 
the snorting and terrified animals. This trivial circumstance 
operated in favor of the Confederates, as the frequent appearance 
of the mules and limber-box made the enemy believe that there 
were several cannons in the thicket; and the firing on their left 
flank from across the lake and Martin's ceaseless shooting in front 
caused them to suspect that I had again concentrated my whole 
force, which they thought several times greater than their number, 
and was surrounding them. This belief and the painful wound 
in his foot made Shackelford beat a retreat. Though the loss 
was small on both sides, the moral effect was greatly in our 
favor. One of our men, though very sick, had grimly held his 
post until a bullet ended his gallant career. 

We had now accomplished more than we had reasonably 
hoped with such limited means, opposed often and threatened 
by so much larger forces than our own. We had captured 




WOODSON, OR BROWNING SPRINGS. 

Battle Ground: Fight between 9th Pa, Cav., Commanded by Col. Williams, and Capt. 
Adam R. Johnson with seven members of Breckinridge Guards. 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 121 

garrisoned towns, routed the enemy in the field, saved various 
communities and districts from their tormentors, invited many young 
men to become regular Confederate soldiers and kept a great 
number of Federals following and watching us, who would other- 
wise have been at work in States further South. The capture 
of Clarksville and Hopkinsville had encouraged my troops as well 
as all the Southern sympathizers in western Kentucky while it had 
also served to dispirit the Federal forces as well as the Union 
sympathizers. My own conciliatory policy had a powerful 
influence for good and made the Unionists exert themselves to 
secure better treatment at the hands of the Federals for their South- 
ern neighbors. My attack upon the provost guard at Henderson had 
multiplied my force of two men many hundred fold. My capture 
of Newburg, Indiana, had filled with dismay every river town on 
the north side of the Ohio and detained many hundreds of men 
from Southern battlefields, to protect these places; and my 
assault upon the strong force near Madisonville, who were utterly 
stampeded by seven men, had inspired new recruits with confidence 
and a spirit of emulation. 

All of the papers were full of our doings, and the representation 
of our victories was so exaggerated that the mere mention of our 
names inspired fear in the heart of the Federals. The many 
epithets hurled at me individually by my foes did not disturb 
me in the least, but rather did for me work that it would have taken 
me months to accomplish, and the " River Robber '* only smiled 
in his sleeve when exaggerated tales of the number of his soldiers 
were spread abroad by the unsuspicious Federals, who never for 
a moment dreamed that it was mainly to this end that I was 
laboring. When scouts returned to the Union lines and reported 
that " Old Stovepipe Johnson " was advancing upon them with 
his multitudinous band, preparations for resisting a small army 
would now be made by them, and when these Federals were 
confident that they had me in a trap, I would gather together 
my men, slip out of their clutches, and make a forced march to 
some town, and capture a score or two of their soldiers as well 
as their army supplies. Thus, I managed to hold large forces close 
in my track. The band of three had now become a regiment, and 
from the nature of the service, which all the men understood and 
appreciated, was designated " The Partisan Rangers of the Confed- 
erate Army " — a title highly relished by them. 



122 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

The capture of Hopkinsville secured not only one hundred 

much needed guns, but made prisoners of many citizens who were 

carrying arms as home guards. Instead of sending them to prison 

and confiscating their property after the manner of the Federals, 

/ both themselves and their possessions were properly respected. 

One instance may be cited, the capture of John McGowan, who 

:i had been made prisoner after having tried to shoot me from 

1 1 the window of a brick house where the home guards were 

- stationed. I not only spared his life, but his large stock of goods 

as well, which he afterwards was able to send South and disposed 

of with huge profit; which made of the would-be assassin a lasting 

friend. 

The capture of Clarksville was of special importance, not only 
in the taking of the garrison and the immense supplies stored 
there for Grant's army, but in cutting the Federal railroad com- 
munications and burning the bridges, which so interrupted the 
plans of the Union leader, that he openly manifested his indignation. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



BRAGG DALLIES IN KENTUCKY. 



The time had now come when it was imperative that I should 
obtain commissions for my officers and tile my muster-rolls in 
the war department at Richmond. The Federals had refused to 
recognize my men as Confederate soldiers and put Captain 
William Quinn, Paul Marrs and others in prison as criminals and 
guerrillas. Taking Captain Luke Trafton, my quartermaster, and 
a negro servant, I set out for the capital. Pushing rapidly south- 
ward on horseback, I learned, when near Springfield, Tennessee, 
that that town was full of Federal soldiers, and that Buell was 
moving his army into Kentucky. A stop for the night was 

made at Mr. Hutcheson's, near Springfield, the father, he told 

me, of the gallant Lieutant-Colonel Hutcheson of Morgan's 
command. Traveling incognito, Trafton and I v/ere concealing 
our identity from friends as well as foes, but in some way our 
host discovered that we were from the Ohio River and began to 
question us about " Stove-pipe Johnson." Trafton, who greatly 
enjoyed the ridiculous, told his inquirer of a gray-headed, grizzly- 
bearded giant who cut a wide swath through the Yankee lines with 
a big fence rail, which he always used in place of a sword. Mr. 
Hutcheson was much pleased over this recital, as he was very 
anxious to hear facts from people who had seen this Confederate. 
The next morning when his guests were ready to depart, our 
host took me aside and told me that if I were a Southern man 
he thought that he was entitled to my confidence, and believing 
that it would further our mission and get us through the Federal 
lines quicker, I told him that I was the " Stove-pipe Johnson " that 

T23 



124 THE P ART I S AN RANGERS. 

he had heard of through rumor. Hutcheson was greatly disap- 
pointed at this declaration, as he thought the young Confederate 
too youthful-looking to have that name, and mentally doubted 
its truth, but on being shown some papers, he went at once into 
the town to investigate the military outlook. It was not long 
before word was sent for us to go in, as the Federals had gone, 
and it would be several hours before any more would be there. 

Following the guide, I soon reached the court house and found 
Mr. Hutcheson awaiting me. I was taken by this old gentleman to a 
private upstairs room, in the neighborhood, where, to my great 
astonishment I found some sixty or seventy old gray-haired citizens 
to whom I was introduced. I was amazed to be ushered thus 
unexpectedly into the presence of such a large assemblage of 
venerable and unknown gentlemen. And 1 was disturbed, 
not knowing but that there might be in such a number of men 
some one who might betray me intentionally or otherwise, and be 
the cause of my arrest. 

Of course 1 did not doubt Mr. Hutcheson's good motives in 
thus conspicuously publishing my name and destination, but I 
felt it was a very dangerous thing for so many, all absolute 
strangers to me, to know so much about me, although they all 
gave me a hearty, even enthusiastic reception, and I was assured 
that they had made arrangements all along the line for my ac- 
commodation and guidance from house to house. 

Thanking then kindly, I excused myself and departed. Mounting 
our horses, we started rapidly down the road given, but with the 
caution of old soldiers, as soon as we were out of sight we turned 
towards Nashville, believing that if any one had betrayed us our 
enemies would be misled by this ruse, though we were going out 
of our proper course to accomplish it. 

Upon reaching the city, I obtained a passport authorizing me to 
carry out some spun cotton to Lebanon. And when I found that 
this was on the line of march of Buell's main army, I moved along 
with them as far as Red Springs, and went into camp for the 
night with the Federals! That night Forrest came close enough 
to the camp to throw bursting bombshells into it. Feeling that it 
would be quite disagreeable to be killed by my friends in the 
enemies' camp, I concluded to part company with my protectors, 
and took the first crossroad that led to the Confederate lines; 
but as good luck would have it, had not proceeded more than a 



BRAGG DALLIES IN KENTUGKY, 125 

mile before I ran into Terry's Texas Rangers and was at once 
taken to the head of the column as a suspect, and delivered to 
my old commander. Forrest was riding with Governor Harris 
and Judge Ewing, of Tennessee. As soon as the general saw 
me, he exclaimed, " Why, hello, Johnson, where in the world 
did you come from ? " 1 explained matters in short style, and 
both Forrest and Harris, thinking 1 possessed information of 
importance, insisted on my going at once with them to Bragg's 
headquarters, which they informed me would be at Glasgow, 
Barren county, Kentucky, that night. 

Bragg recognized me as an old army scout and seemed delighted 
to receive all the information about Kentucky I gave him. He 
desired me to collect my regiment, concentrate them in the vicinity 
of Hopkinsville, and watch Buell's left flank, and, if possible, 
hinder his escape down Green River. 

Though thus suddenly called on to change my plans, I readily 
obeyed this order, rejoicing that my native State at last had an 
opportunity of being freed from the thraldom that had so long 
been crushing the. life and spirit out of her, and only too happy 
to be able to aid in her redemption. So I gladly took the 
printed circulars of Bragg and Harris, pledging the people of 
Kentucky that they had come to release her from captivity and 
to stay in their Commonwealth with a force sufficient to assist 
them to regain their liberties. 

With such magnificent assurances I returned with Trafton to 
•our lold stamping-ground, and rode day and night till I had 
collected twelve hundred true and gallant troopers, with Camp 
Coleman, Todd county, Kentucky, between Russellville and Hop- 
kinsville, as our rendezvous. I burned the Red River and Fishing 
Creek bridges, and fully carried out all of Bragg's instructions. 

Old Kentucky quickly burst into a blaze of patriotic enthusiasm. 
T^ever, perhaps, during the entire war was recruiting so easy and 
rapid, never spontaneity of feeling and action so prevalent 
among what Sherman called the "vital population;" and I feel 
confident to this day that if Bragg had fought Buell at Green 
River, as he intended, or as he declared he intended, he could 
have crushed the Federal army, and with the aid of many 
thousand assured recruits could have held the State; here was 
the turning point of the war in the West. 

The Confederates were never more anxious to fight. They 



\ 

i 



126 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

had heard all their lives that Kentucky was another Canaan for 
the good things of the earth, " a land flowing with milk and 
honey." Half-starved for so many months, full of enthusiasm 
over the great fields of golden grain and herds of fat cattle they 
saw everywhere, they were anxious to hold the fruitful territory. 
But Bragg's nerve failed him at the critical moment, and he 
allowed Buell to pass on to Louisville. Bragg veered off in the 
direction of Frankfort and Lexington and stayed in that region 
until his enemies had doubled their force, and although he got 
the advantage at the bloody battle of Perryville, he decided to 
evacuate Kentucky. The magnificent fight his men made there 
against superior forces demonstrated that they could easily have 
beaten Buell's army, which was in bad condition, at Green River. 

I was left in an isolated, critical situation, overpowering forces 
were sent against me, vi I was compelled to resort to my old 
tactics of disbanding my men to scatter all over the county. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERACY. 

Soon I received peremptory orders to report to the war depart- 
ment in Richmond, and taking Captain Trafton with me 
again, we pushed through the lines. 

Upon reaching Murfreesboro, I received from General John C. 
Breckinridge and General Forrest letters of commendation ad- 
dressed to Colonel William Preston Johnson, private secretary to 
President Davis, and a native of Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. 
Davis received me cordially and after reading the official report 
of my operations in Kentucky, expressed his pleasure and satis- 
faction. 

That the readers of this history may understand the magnitude 
of the work accomplished by the Partisan Rangers up to this time, 
I append a synopsis of my first report to the war department, which 
I handed to Mr. Davis to read. 

The full report, of which there is no copy extant, shows that 
Colonel Mason, Colonel Farrow and^ Colonel Olney, with their 
subordinate offices and men, were captured and paroled; Colonel 
Netter was killed at Owensboro; nine cities had been captured, 
two of them north of the Mason and Dixon line, over a million 
dollars worth of Federal stores had been destroyed, steamboats 
captured and streams rendered unsafe for transporting the munitions 
of war. That my command had occupied a territory not more than 
a hundred miles square and held it for many months, although 
this territory was surrounded by navigable streams and railroads, 
enabling the Federals to throw large forces to any point they 
pleased, secretly and quickly. While they employed thousands of 

127 



128 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

men they were never able to surprise or capture the Partisan 
Rangers. During this occupation I lost fewer men, killed, wounded 
and captured than any other command of the same number in 
the Confederate service. 

I had penetrated the Federal lines and begun an open warfare 
with a single recruit, and soon magnified the number so as to 
overawe the Federal forces that occupied the surrounding towns. 
The first three men by their attack on the provost guards in the 
city of Heitderson were exaggerated into three hundred; seven 
men then attacked three hundred and fifty Pennsylvania cavalry, 
^t was at midnight, and the charge so scattered and demoralized 
them that they reported that they had been attacked by fifteen 
hundred guerrillas; next the city of Henderson surrendered to 
twenty-seven men while the gunboat " Brilliant " was lying 
opposite the town. These same twenty-seven men crossed 
the Ohio river m broad daylight, guarded one hundred and eighty 
prisoners, and carried away several hundred stands of arms. The 
main roads throughout the county were picketed, passports were 
demanded and the whole county was reported in the hands of 
the Partisan Rangers. These men were taught from the beginning 
to be minute men — to come promptly on call and never to be 
behind the appointed time. In this manner any small force of 
Federals was quickly routed and never allowed to ascertain the 
headquarters of the band of rangers. Early in the year 1904, 
I obtained the following transcript of the official records of the 
Civil War from Washington, which I present just as they were 
sent to me: 

WAR DEPARTMENT. 

Washington City, January 14, 1904. 
Hon. James L. Slayden, 

House of Representatives. 
My Dear Sir: 

In returning herewith the letter, received by your reference 
to-day, of General A. R. Johnson, of Burnet, Texas, who desires 
copies of reports made by him to the Confederate War De- 
partment about the first of November, 1862, and the first of 
August, 1862, also copies of his commission as brigadier-general 
and of the commissions of Colonel Chenoweth, Napier and Cun- 



THE PRESIDENT OF THE C N F ED E R AC Y. \2Q 

ningham, I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of the 
two reports asked for by your correspondent. 

Neither the original nor any copies of the commissions referred 
to by General Johnson are on file in the Confederate archives 
of this department, and consequently it is impossible to furnish 
him the copies desired. It is proper to remark, however, that they 
contain the following information relative to this portion of his 
inquiry : 

Adam R. Johnson was appointed colonel, 10th Kentucky 
Cavalry, November 4, 1862, rank from August 13, 1862. He 
was promoted to be brigadier-general, C. S. A., September 4, 
1864, to rank from June 1, 1864. 

J. Q. Chenoweth and L. A. Sypert (not Cypret) were appointed 
colonels of cavalry September 6, 1864, to rank from the same 
date. 

S. P. Cunningham and R. B. L. Soery were appointed lieu- 
tenant-colonels of cavalry September 6, 1864, to rank from the 
same date. 

Thomas W. Napier was appointed lieutenant-colonel, 6th 
Kentucky Cavalry, September 18, 1863, to rank from September 
2, 1862. Very Respectfully, 

F. E. ARMSTEAD, 
Chief, Record and Pension Office. 

Confederate States of America — War Department. 

Richmond, Va., Nov. 1, 1862. 
Hon, G. W. Randolph, Secretary of War. 

Sir: — I submit to you the statements of Col. A. R. Johnson, of 
Partisan Rangers in Western Kentucky. He requests the companies 
of Captains Bennett, Fisher, Prow, Hammack, S. B. Taylor, Rich- 
ardson, Marr, Chapman, Wall and J. N. Taylor to be organized 
into a regiment, and certifies that they were elected by their men. 

He asks for commissions for himself as colonel, R. M. Martin as 
lieutenant-colonel, Philip Jones as adjutant. Dr. Geo. Porter as 
surgeon, Dr. Ben C. Redford, assistant surgeon, L. W. Trafton, 
assistant quartermaster, H. Garth as commissary, and W. G. Owen 
as major. As soon as his numbers are increased to sixty-four 
privates in each company he asks to be received into the line of 
the Provisional Army. 



130 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

He asks that Lieutenant-Colonel Ben Anderson be authorized to 
organize a battalion of Partisan Rangers and when they reach ten 
companies of sixt3^-four (64) privates each, they shall also be 
received into the line of the Provisional Army to serve three 
3^ears, and Colonel Anderson will be commissioned as Colonel. 

Colonel Johnson asks that an artillery company be organized 
by him and directed to report to him for duty and that he be 
furnished with a battery of two light guns and the outfit for same. 
He asks that the irregularities of the organization of his regiment 
be overlooked and a disbursing officer be sent with funds to pay 
oft' his men from the date of their being sworn into the service. 

He also asks for himself and Colonel Anderson full authority 
to swear in men for their respective regiments to serve for three 
years. A. R. JOHNSON. 

(Indorsement.) 
A. G.: 

Preserve the rolls of the regiment and commission the officers. 
Organize the battalion, commission the officers, authorize the 
increase to a regiment, and order Colonel Anderson to report to 
Colonel Johnson. 

Authorize the conversion of both regiments to regiments of the 
line so soon as all the companies have at least sixty-four privates 
each. The conversion to be with the consent of the regiments. 

G. W. RANDOLPH, 

Secretary of War. 

Take him all in all, I think Mr. Davis was head and shoulders above 
all the great men of the country, North or South, who were con- 
spicuous during the Civil War. He was an accomplished soldier, 
a statesman of the highest order, an accurate and profound scholar; 
self-possessed and well-balanced; full of initiative, yet prudent; of 
strong and ready memory; of equal temper, wise and just; an orator 
and writer of the first class, and withal a man of action, alert, 
active, vigorous. This im.pression I had as we talked together, and 
to this day I believe he w^as the only man in the South who could 
li::ve conducted the affairs of the Confederacy for more than four 
years; indeed, it is my conviction that we had no other man ^\'ho 
could have piloted the new ship half so long. But this interview 



THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERACY. Idl 

showed Mr. Davis in another aspect than that of the great 
president, namely, that of the man of refined sensibility, of tender- 
ness and compassion and exquisite gentleness. After many sagacious 
questions, all of which 1 answered candidly and, appreciative of the 
importance of the time he was giving me, as briefly as possible, 
he asked me what I would do to protect my men when captured 
from maltreatment. I replied that "I had in the few cases calling 
for action on my part 'threatened' retaliation, which so far had 
answered [the reader will know that this was two years before the 
Burbridge and Payne atrocities in Kentucky], but this was a bluff, 
and I hardly know what I would do in an extreme case." Said he 
quickly: ''Don't retaliate in kind, Johnson; think what it would 
lead to; the war is horrible 'enough as it is; what would it become 
if, when Federal officers were cruel and inhumane to prisoners of 
war and inflicted on them undue suffering or death, our officers 
should make reprisals ? Only generals commanding an army should 
wield such terrible power, and even in such cases I shudder to 
contemplate the consequences. The war would become brutal and 
barbarous and sanguinary beyond conception; soon no mercy would 
be extended to prisoners and no respect paid to age or sex. No," 
he continued with great emotion, "never shall v/e come to this; let 
us win or lose with honor as Christian soldiers, without stain or 
reproach! Captured soldiers must be treated with consideration; 
non-combatants must not be harshly dealt with; private property 
must be respected; we make war against armed men only." More 
he said to the same effect. I assured him that I would obey his 
wishes; that was the kind of war any honorable soldier would want 
to see waged; thanked him for his courteous attention, and parted 
from him to meet him more than two years afterward, when he 
showed the same susceptibility. 

Colonel Johnston next introduced me to General Cooper, 
adjutant general, who promptly accepted my papers and issued 
commissions to my officers. The necessary money to pay off my 
men was turned over tio Captain Trafton, quartermaster. 

I ascertained that Bragg, ever a thorn in the sides of Ken- 
tuckians, was insisting on all partisan rangers being called in, dis- 
mounted, and put in the infantry; but aided by my new friends 
at court, I succeeded in circumventing Bragg's designs, as far as 
my command was concerned, for the time being. 

My next step was to obtain an order from the War Department 



132 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

upon Bragg-'s ordnance officer for a battery of artillery; and v/ith this 
I forthwith returned to Murfreesboro. But the obdurate old general 
flatly refused to honor the requisition until he could see, as he said, 
that I had men enough to need and take care of a battery, probably 
thinking mine was a "paper battalion." I sent for my command, 
and shortly four hundred manly fellows came riding in to confront 
him as a pledge for the care and protection of that battery. 




BRIG. GENERAL JOHN H. MORGAN, 



Commanding Division of Cavalry. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

ENTRAPPED P,Y BRAGG. 

Bragg wanted my command to remain with the main army, and 
issued orders to conscript all soldiers that were not regularly 
enlisted and brigaded. We were entrapped. I was in a quandary, 
for I could not leave without disobeying the orders of the general 
commanding that department. So at the solicitation of General 
Morgan, who offered me the command of one of his two brigades, 
I united my force with his upon the understanding that General 
Morgan would divide his battery with me and allow me to return 
to my old department of Western Kentucky during the raid that he 
was then preparing to make into that State, known as the Christmas 
raid, as it was made in December. 

Wishing to be freer to carry out this design than I would be if 
I commanded a brigade, I reported to Colonel Breckinridge, my 
junior in rank, who acted as the brigadier. 

Our first important point of destination was Muldraugh's Hill, 
on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, where we destroyed an 
extensive and costly piece of trestle-work in spite of a Federal 
regiment, strongly fortified, to protect it. We captured and paroled 
this force. We proceeded up the railroad, taking in small 
parties guarding it at several points. 

Upon reaching Springfield, General Morgan ascertained that 
several heavy forces of Federals were converging upon him, and 
retreated southward. He found a strong force at Lebanon who were 
in a position to cut him off and seriously impede his movements. 
To me was given the office of holding the enemy in check till our 
body had passed. A heavy sleet was falling at the time and we 

133 



I 



134 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

experienced probably the most disagreeable night of the war, 
particularly as it was extremely dark, and we had to move slowly, 
suffering all the while from the cold and wet. 

With three hundred men I proceeded against Lebanon. I 
attacked the Federals at three different places on different roads, di- 
viding my force into equal sections, and easily drove the pickets into 
the tov/n', for they did not suspect an assault on such a frightful 
night. 

This attack on the city of Lebanon made the Yankees believe 
that Morgan's whole force had beleaguered them, and while they 
were busily engaged in preparing for defense in anticipation of a 
general assault in the morning, I moved away quietly and headed 
for Burksville whither Morgan was marching. It was a weird 
sight when day dawned ; all the men were sheeted in ice and looked 
like a ghostly army, as they moved silently through the woods. 

No incident of interest happened until I rejoined Morgan at 
Burksville. While the command was crossing the river here 
General Morgan and his staff galloped ahead, but had not gone 
far when firing was heard in front, and the little party returned 
with the information that they had been ambushed by bush- 
whackers who were hidden on the mountain opposite the ford. I 
sent Colonel Martin and Neil Helm and five men forward to 
reconnoiter. Ere long 1 had brought up my regiment to support 
this squad, if necessary. But by the time I reached the spot 
Martin had charged on horseback into the dense bushes after these 
fellows, shot three of them, driven the rest of them into a cave, 
filled the mouth of it with dead wood and brush, and ignited the 
stuff, remarking that he supposed the fire would last long enough 
to keep the skulkers imprisoned till the command had passed. 

I continued to be' anxious to get back to my department of 
Western Kentucky, and as soon as we got far enough into 
Tennessee to send letters to Richmond I wrote Hon. Henry Burnett 
and Colonel William Preston Johnson, two Kentucky friends, 
and presented to them urgent reasons for my return to this special 
territory. In reply I received very complimentary letters, notifying 
me that I was desired to go to Texas on a very important mission, 
and should hold myself in readiness for this expedition. In a few 
days I received dispatches to be delivered to General Magruder, 
together with a leave of absence for sixty days. Leaving the 
regiment under the command of Colonel Martin, near Woodbury, 



ENTRAPPED BY BRAGG. 135 

Tennessee, I started upon a special mission to faraway Texas, for 
ihe second time since the beginning of the war. 

Soon after I left, Lieutenant-Colonel Martin, with several hundred 
men, attacked a long wagon-train on the Lebanon and Murfreesboro 
turnpike, and although several thousand infantry were marching 
with it, he succeeded in capturing about one hundred wagons; 
but, unfortunately, ov/ing" to the breaking down of one of them, 
which blocked the narrow, rocky by-road, he had to destroy about 
seventy of them, but carried off thirty. 

Not long subsequent to this episode an overwhelming force of 
Federals forced General Morgan to fall back, and Martin, with 
only a few companies of his regiment, tried to bluff' and check 
the enemy, but was compelled to retire finally. Immediately in 
the rear of Martin was a Itow, open valley through which his men had 
to retreat. Seeing that the Yankees could reach a commanding hill 
v/ith their batteries, he rode toward them waving his hat at them, then 
turned and rode slowly away toward the hill. The Federals 
suspecting that he was trying to entice them into some kind of 
an ambuscade, checked their march and threw forward a skirmish 
line to the foot of the hill. As soon as Martin thought sufficient 
time had elapsed for the passage of his men through the valle}/-, 
he galloped away to overtake them, when the foe gave him a 
hearty parting salute of shot and shell. 

But notwithstanding Colonel Martin saved his regirnent from 
capture or annihilation by this ruse, he lost that day several valuable 
members of his command, among them Captain Sam Wall and 
Lieutenant George, both brave and excellent officers. 

My journey to Texas being accomplished without incident, 
I delivered the dispatches from Richmond, and the gallant 
and urbane General Magruder was very complimentary at the 
expeditious way in which the lengthy, difficult journey had been 
performed. 

Thomas Johnson, my brother, was serving in Wilkes's battery, 
and at my solicitation, the General seemed pleased to order that 
this young soldier should report to his brother. 

Captain Neil Helm who had previously been sent back to Texas 
to procure recruits for his depleted company of scouts, sent me 
notice that he was for the present staying in Burnet, my old home, 
where my young wife was still living, and that it would be advisable 
for me to remove my family, as the Indians were committing many 



I 



133 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

depredations in that neighborhood. Accordingly, I determined to 
take 'my wife across the Mississippi river and leave her at some 
place where she would have better protection and be nearer to me. 

Upon arriving at Burnet, I found that Captain Helm had enlisted 
about a dozen recruits. Buying a carriage for my little family, I 
began the hardest journey of my life, rendered harder by anxiety. 
Intending to cross Red river at Shreveport, Louisiana, I sent forward 
Helm, in whom I had always placed great confidence from the time 
of our mutual Indian experience to the present. 

When within about thirty miles of Shreveport, I met General 
Dick Taylor's command, falling back before Banks's large and 
well-appointed army. Taylor had issued orders for all privates 
and officers who were on leave of absence or furlough, to report 
to him immediately for duty; he was a fighting man, and was 
eager to engage Banks as soon as he could somewhat strengthen 
his comparatively small force. 

Though exceedingly anxious to push ahead, I concluded not to 
dodge General Taylor or his military order, and proceeded to his 
headquarters at the crossing of old Caney on the river, and 
temporarily offered him m.y services and recruits. But after read- 
ing my papers. General Taylor kindly told me that I had better 
work my way through the country as rapidly as possible and 
rejoin m.y o^vn command, a decision that delighted both Mrs. 
Johnson and myself. 

The " Father of Waters " was then under full control of Yankee 
gunboats, which at this time had possession of almost every stream 
in the South, navigable or even unnavigable, for as President 
Lincoln once facetiously remarked, " his gunboats could make their 
way wherever there was any water, and often where the ground 
was only a little damp." 

The Mississippi at this period was overflowing the, country on 
both sides, so that it was dangerous to cross. I met quite a number 
of soldiers returning, who declared they had made efforts, but 
found it impossible to reach the other side. I saw General Polignac 
and staff just as we had come back again to the edge of the over- 
flowed bottom, and learned from him that he had made an unsuc- 
cessful attempt, and that it would be absolutely impossible for me 
to take my carriage further, as the water had broken one of the 
levees and was passing through with such violence that the vehicle 
would be washed away. , But as all my little party, including Mrs. 



ENTRAPPED BY BRAGG. 137 

Johnson, were courageous and determined, I resolved to make a 
resolute trial, and drove for many miles with the water up to the 
hubs of the wheels. Upon arriving at the broken levee, after a care- 
ful inspection of the situation, I discovered a ridge of clay at the bot- 
tom €f the break, and believing that I could keep the carriage 
from being carried away by straddling the ridge with its wheels, 1 
succeeded in getting over, although the vehicle came very near up- 
setting. 

Reaching Lake Concordia without further serious damage, I 
seized a flatboat with two negroes in it and reached the Mississippi 
proper late that night. The next morning while we were sitting in 
the carriage on the levee, opposite Natchez, a gunboat came up, 
puffing and blowing and running in close to shore, as if with the 
intention of examining the contents of the carriage; but after 
surveying us and concluding that we probably were only people 
from the neighborhood, it withdrew, much to our relief. 

After this boat had got out of sight, the ferry-boat, which had 
been sunk to hide it from the Yankees, was raised, and we crossed 
over to Natchez. 

Upon leaving the river, dangers on land threatened our little 
company, for we came very near running into General Grierson's 
command, just then making a raid through the country. Biarely 
escaping capture, we slowly ploughed through the mud to Jackson, 
the capital of the State, reaching it just after Sherman had left it 
only an empty shell. 

It was almost a day's journey from the old city of Jackson, or 
rather its rem,ains, to the point at which the railroad was intact; 
and after having disposed of my horses and carriage, I took the 
railroad car and reached Marietta, Georgia, without further incident. 
Engaging rooms from Mrs. J. Stevens, we found that we were 
occupying the same chambers that the family of the great lamented 
General Albert Sidney Johnston had when he fell at Shiloh. The 
boot he was wearing when he received the fatal shot was now in 
the room as a sad souvenir, and was covered with blood-stains; 
a bullet-hole in it showed that he v/as struck in the calf of the leg. 

Leaving Mrs. Johnson at Marietta, I went the next day to my 
command at McMinnville, Tennessee, and found that orders had 
been issued in my absence for me to reorganize my command, and 
that the rolls were in course of preparation. 

Learning that the officers had agreed to have an election for a 



\ 

I 



138 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

new lieutenant-colonel and major, I promptly sent in my resignation^ 
and Colonel Martin and 1 began making preparations to go to the 
trans-Mississippi department. About twelve o'clock at night one of 
the captains came to me and declared that the regiment would dis- 
band forthwith if I failed to remain with them. To this complimentary 
expostulation I replied that there was but one condition on which 
1 could remain with them, and that was that I should have the 
privilege of appointing the officers to be under me, and that the 
lirst two should be Lieutenant-Colonel Robert M. Martin and Major 
G. Wash Owen. I told the captain who was acting as ambassador 
for the regiment that as my demands were great and extraordinary, 
they were more than I had any right to expect or think would 
be granted by the regiment, and that I had no idea they would 
concede to me such privileges and power, but nevertheless upon 
no other terms would i consent to command them. 

Martin and I were occupying at that time an old deserted cabin, 
and consumed the rest of the night in making arrangements to 
cross the Mississippi river, and discussing what we would do after 
our arrival in Texas, both being satisfied that the regiment would 
not accede to the demand. But to our surprise, the next morning 
before sunrise a petition addressed to me requested me to remain 
in command upon the conditions, required, and upon examination, 
I saw that the paper was signed by every officer and m.an in the 
camp. 

Both I and my old comrade-in-arms were much astonished, and 
I was very deeply moved by the unanimous and un- 
conditional surrender of their rights by the men of the 
regiment and their v/onderful devotion to me. I had 
the command mustered and made them an address, in which 
I told them that their remarkable deference to my will had excited 
m.y strongest emotions and completely disarmed me, so that I 
was now in such a mental condition that I must in turn surrender 
to them, and while appreciating their great confidence in my judg- 
m^ent and impartiality, 1 could not, even apparently, occupy the 
position of having taken advantage of their kindly feelings toward 
m.e, and that they could at once proceed to elect iheir own officers 
just as they pleased, explaining further that as my command was 
made up of seventeen companies, some here and some in Kentucky, 
it would be a very delicate and embarrassing duty to select the 
officers, for I would be obliged to leave out some of the best of 



ENTRAPPED BY BRAGG. 139 

my old and tried officers, men who had so long and faithfully 
devoted their lives and fortunes to the Confederacy; consequently, 
I would rather they should elect. 

But even after this earnest argument, all the men and officers 
still insisted, and every commissioned officer on the spot handed in 
his resignation; and so I had nothing else to do than to proceed to 
make my appointments. 

1 was ordered to re-unite my regiment with Morgan's forces. 
Colonel St. Leger Grenfell, who had been an English cavalry 
officer, but who had the year before, thrown in his fortunes with 
those of the struggling Confederates, and was attached to Morgan's 
staff as assistant adjutant general, finding that I was the senior 
officer, determined, in spite of my opposition, that I should com- 
mand the first brigade, and actually procured the appointment for 
me though I and all the other colonels thought that Colonel Duke 
ought to have it ; and finally it was so decided. As I have previously 
said, I did not desire such an appointment anyhow, as I was very 
desirous to get back to my own military province of southwestern 
Kentucky. 

Not only the commanders of regiments, but all the field and com- 
pany officers and non-commissioned officers and privates alike joined 
in expressing the hope that Duke would be appointed to the 
command of the First Brigade, so universally popular was this 
brilliant young officer. Singularly enough, in date of commission 
he was the junior colonel of the division, for it happened that 
although he had commanded the Second Kentucky Cavalry for 
many months, while Morgan, with a colonel's commission, com- 
manded the brigade, the application for commissions of neither 
of them had been forwarded to the war department or urged by 
General Bragg until after the battle of Hartsville in December, 
1862. After that splendid achievement, the commissions were no 
longer withheld, but their date, instead of being fixed early in the 
year, was of the day of this battle. Pending the uncalled-for delay, 
other regiments had been recruited and organized during the sum- 
mer and autumiU of 1862, and commissions issued to their officers 
dated the day of their muster. Among other regiments whose 
colonels thus obtained commissions before Duke's came, were the 
Fifth and Sixth Kentucky Cavalry, commanded respectively by 
Colonels Howard Smith and Warren Grigsby, which had been 
recruited only a few months, and, at first attached to Buford's 



1 



140 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

brigade, had by the disbandment of that body and through fear of 
being dismounted, applied for assignment to Morgan's com.mand. 
They had reported to Morgan in February or March, 1863, just 
when the older regiments were all insisting, as I have said, that 
Duke should take command of the First Brigade; of course, they 
knew Duke's great ability and were familiar with his reputation 
for courage and conduct in the field, and would not have presumed 
to oppose his appointment as their commanding officer; so they, 
too, " waived rank " in Duke's favor and cheerfully ranged their 
regiments under him. The appointment of Duke under these 
circumstances to the command of the First Brigade put him as 
second in rank to Morgan and fixed the succession absolutely on 
him in the event of the disability or death of the famous cavalryman. 
Nor could Morgan's mantle have fallen on a worthier successor: 
an accomplished gentleman, a skillful tactician, ever successful in 
fight, I hold him to have been the ablest officer of his age in the 
Confederate army. 

A few months after, when preparing for the great raid, General 
Morgan wished me to command the second brigade, lately com- 
pleted, and we agreed to a compromise: I was to take command 
till we arrived at the Ohio river, where we were to cross into 
Indiana, and then was to be allowed to take my own command 
and proceed to Green river. But for the present Morgan's com- 
mxand had its attention turned to guarding the front, on the right of 
Bragg's arm.y, whose headquarters were at Murfreesboro. 

The Federals had strongly reinforced their cavalry, and there 
were frequent and heavy skirmishes between the horsemen. In 
one of these Lieutenant Colonel Hutcheson, cf the Second Ken- 
tucky Cavalry Regiment, was killed, one of the most brilliant,. 
efficient and beloved officers of the command. 

The Union cavalry once broke through our lines and made a dash 
in force on General Morgan's headquarters at McMinnville, and would 
probably have captured him had it not been for the opportune 
appearance of Bob Martin, who, seeing the attack of the enemy, 
took his bridle in his teeth, and with pistol in one hand and sabre 
in the other, alone dashed in front of the charging enemy and held 
them in check until he was shot through the body. But sticking 
to his horse, he rode off to a farm house, where he was afterwards 
found and sent to the hospital. Profiting by the delay of the 
Federal squadron by Martin, Morgan soon arrived at his camp. 




BRIGADIER GENERAL BASIL W. DUKE. 



\ 

i 



1 



ENTRAPPED BY BRAGG. 141 

The loss of Martin to my command was almost irreparable, but 
his strong- constitution sustained him and he was soon on the road 
to recovery. 

Major G. Wash Owen succeeded to the command of the regiment. 
That I have not heretofore in the story of our enterprises in Ken- 
tucky referred to the services of this valuable officer more specifi- 
cally demands an explanation: As he was the best drill-master in 
the command, he was invariably in charge of the camp wherever 
established; all .of us considered this the post of danger. My gen- 
eral plan for protecting the camp was to scatter small scouting 
parties throughout the territory occupied, each commanded by 
officers who, with most of the men, were familiar with the neighbor- 
hood from boyhood; for instance, Bennett around Slaughtersville, 
Fisher near Henderson, Fowler at Madisonville, Sam Wall about 
Uniontown, while the camp would be at Sulphur Springs, Walnut 
Hill or Givens's farm. Martin and I perhaps would be operating 
in Daviess and Christian counties. Roads would be picketed for a 
short time by the several parties challenging all passengers and giving 
passports in my name, when they would be withdrawn, to reappear 
at other points. All kept in touch with Owen and through him 
with one another, and were promptly advised of any movement of 
the enemy. Through Owen the scattered detachments could be 
rallied at any point at a given hour, to unite for an expedition, under 
my command. I should say, furthermore, that no man was allowed 
to sleep in a house ; the few instances of capture occurred in violation 
of this order. We thus held the territory, meeting with no surprise 
or defeat or loss. The success of my plans were largely dependent 
on Owen's promptness, and faithful and courageous always, he dis- 
charged his duties with marked ability and skill. 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE INDIANA AND OHIO RAID. 



About the first of July, 1863, I received peremptory orders to 
take my command by way of Turkey Neck Bend, a point on the 
Cumberland river, and proceed toward Green river bridge, via 
Columbia, Kentucky. I sent Captain Helm with his company of 
scouts in advance to secure boats and reconnoiter the opposite side 
of the river and ascertain if possible the strength of the enemy, 
who was supposed to be in that vicinity in heavy force. 

Reaching the river at McMillan's farm, we were received with 
real old Kentucky hospitality by Mr. McMillan, the father of the 
present governor of Tennessee. I found the river out of its banks, 
and no boats large enough to carry a horse. I swam my horses, carry- 
ing the saddles and clothes of the men across in boats, while many 
of the soldiers swam the swollen stream. The whole passage across 
was made with the loss of only three horses, and we were in the 
saddle by four o'clock on the morning of the third. 

Captain Helm had returned and reported a large body of cavalry 
near Marrow Bone creek, with strong pickets on our road. I 
sent Captain Tipton's company of Cluke's regiment and Captain 
Bennett of Owen's regiment with Captain Helm's scouts, to attack 
the Federal pickets and drive them in on the main body. This was 
handsomely done, and my brigade, in column of fours, moved 
rapidly on the road, and passed the enemy without molestation; 
they believed from the spirited attack on their outposts that a 
general assault was intended, and took position on a heavily-wooded 
ridge and awaited our attack. A heavy fog covered our move- 

142 



THE INDIANA AND OHIO RAID. 143 

ments and we were many miles on our road before they discov- 
ered our departure. 

Leaving Captain Bennett and his men to watch the enemy, we 
moved on and by noon overtook Duke's brigade. Halting for an 
hour or so, my brigade took the advance, and by daylight on the 
morning of the fourth came in contact with the pickets of a force 
of about four hundred men that held the fortifications at Green 
river bridge. 

After a close and careful examination, 1 found a short and heavy 
earthwork thrown up around an abattis, a deep ravine on one side 
and precipitous bluffs on the other, which prevented any approach 
except by the direct road to the bridge; the distance between the 
ravine and the bluff was not more than a hundred and fifty yards, 
and was so well and skillfully fortified that I deemed it impreg- 
nable against any dismounted cavalry, but believed we might use 
our artillery so as to induce a surrender. Bennett, who had now 
returned from the rear, was sent to the right to a point where he 
could enfilade the earthworks, and I sent Cluke with his regiment 
and the remainder of Owen's regiment, to cross the river at a ford 
below the bridge and make a demonstration on the rear. Bennett's 
enfilading fire soon drove the enemy from the earthworks in front 
of the abattis, and I was moving my artillery with the intention 
of opening fire upon the fortifications, when General Morgan joined 
me in the Federal earthworks, and gave orders not to use the 
artillery, and sent in a summons to surrender. The reply soon came 
back from Colonel Moore, saying : " The Fourth of July is a bad 
day for a Federal officer to surrender." 

Morgan immediately ordered me to take the remnant of my 
brigade left on that side of the river, about four hundred strong, 
and storm the stronghold. I begged the general not to attempt it, 
as I had but seven rounds of ammunition and we could easily flank 
the place; but he insisted and I led my men to the charge. By the 
time we reached the abattis our ammxunition was exhausted and 
about fifty of my men were killed and wounded, including the 
brave Colonel Chenault. Duke's charge on my right met a similar 
fate, he losing the gallant Brent and other valuable officers and 
men. Had the enemy's force in our rear used ordinary diligence, they 
could have given us trouble at this place. 

We withdrew, and, flanking the bridge, moved on toward 
Lebanon, where we found Colonel Hanson posted with his regiment 



\ 

I 



144 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

of infantry. We at once invested the town, Duke's on the right 
and my brigade on the left. After a sharp engagement, Hanson 
surrendered, and marching his command some miles on the road, 
they were parbled. This was another occasion on which an active 
foe could have done us serious harm. 

Morgan with his usual skill, made demonstrations that misled the 
whole Federal force in Kentucky. The most important of these was 
a battalion of two companies placed under command of Major 
William J. Davis, at this time captain and adjutant general of the 
First Brigade, skilled in the conduct of scouting parties, to cut off 
communication between the forces at Camp Dick Rob- 
inson and Louisville, and to operate between Lexington 
and Louisville and along the Ohio river above Louisville. 
Among other results accomplished, this movement induced the 
moving of the gunboats above the falls of the Ohio, leaving the 
lower river unguarded. 

At Garnettsville I dispatched Captains Sam Taylor and Cla}' 
Merriwether to Brandenburg for the purpose of capturing steam- 
boats; and taking Captain Tipton with me, I went in person to a 
landing above Brandenburg to capture the regular packet that was 
due there at twelve o'clock that night. The packet came down 
within sight of the landing, but receiving some private signals, she 
ran off up the river. When I reached Brandenburg early next 
n}orning, I found that Taylor and Merriwether had captured two 
steamboats, and we were preparing to cross when a shell from 
the opposite side told us that we had enemies in our front. Bringing 
up my two pieces of artillery, under command of Lieutenant 
Lawrence, a few well-directed shots scattered the force and 
dismounted the gun. The crossing was begun and continued until 
the whole force was landed on the other side, which was done 
before daylight the next morning. 

When we started on this raid with Morgan there was an agreement, 
as I have formerly said, that I should take command of the Second 
Brigade, and when we reached the Ohio river I should have my 
old command and two pieces of artillery with whatever boats we 
could capture; then I was to move down while he, with Duke's 
brigade and the other regiments of the Second Brigade, should 
move up the river. 

When I crossed the river I was met by one of the staff who 
notified me that General Morgan wished to see me. As soon as 1 




MAJOR WILLIAM J. DAVIS, 
(Photograph 1872) 



i 



] 



THE INDIANA AND OHIO RAID. U5 

reached him he told me that he was not willing that we should 
separate. I insisted upon his carrying out his agreement, telling 
him that he knew my runners had gone into my department, my 
men would be collected and subjected to capture and imprisonment ; 
that the lower river was free from gunboats, and that I would 
capture Henderson, Owensboro, and Evansville, and thereby create 
such a diversion in his favor as would more than compensate for the 
loss to the regiment. Just then he pointed to the rear and said : '' See, 
the boats are on fire; I gave orders to burn them." No bridegroom, 
suddenly separated from his bride on the day of his wedding, could 
have felt a more profound grief than 1 did when I saw the boats 
in flames, and felt that I was cut olf from returning to my depart- 
ment. If there had been any consuming desire on the part of the 
Federals to capture us, no better opportunity ever presented itself 
than occurred during the crossing at Brandenburg. We were on 
the banks of the Ohio river more than thirty-six hours, and after 
1 took up my march in advance on the morning of the 9th, my rear 
guard, which had been left on the bank of the river, reported that 
no attempt to cross the river had been made to that hour 
by the Federals. Had they closely followed us and attacked vigor- 
ously our divided force while crossing, it must have proven disas- 
trous to us. 

About 10 o'clock in the morning my advance guard came in 
contact with a heavy force of home guards, posted behind rail 
piles. Several of my men were wounded, among whom was 
Lieutenant Spencer Thorpe. A flank movement to the right and left, 
which was gallantly led by Duke's old regiment, the Second Ken- 
tucky, on the right and Ward's on the left, and a shot or two from 
Lawrence's Parrot guns caused the enemy to disperse in confusion. 
Passing on some eighteen miles, we encamped for a few hours. 

Day after day we pursued our course, no resistance of any 
serious nature occurring. Sometimes forces doubly as large as 
our own would confront us, but a flank movement and few well- 
directed shots from the artillery invariably scattered them. 

On the evening of the thirteenth, within a few miles of Cincin- 
nati, General Morgan came up with me while I was riding with 
my advance guard. He asked me if I had any men in my com- 
mand who were acquainted with the roads around Cincinnati. I 
told him I had two men who were reared in that city and that 
Captain Sam Taylor had passed much of his time there. He request- 



\ 

I 



146 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

ed to have a conference with them. I immediately sent for Captain 
Taylor, with an order to bring one of his lieutenants, his cousin, with 
him. These two men were nephews of General Zachary Taylor and 
inherited the military characteristics of their family. 1 think it 
was Lieutenant John McLain that came with this captain, and 
General Morgan and myself, together with these men, fell back 
immediately in rear of the advance guard and conversed as we 
rode along. They gave him a minute description of Cincinnati and 
its surroundings, telling him that in the suburbs of the city was a 
high, flat ridge running parallel with the streets, that would help 

• us to keep a direct course and give good ground to travel over. 
General Morgan expressed a desire to ascertain the strength and 
position of the enemy in Cincinnati, and both of these officers were 
to ride into the city and afterward report to us at a designated 
point, which was so clearly described that no difficulty could be 
found in recognizing it, although it was late at night. I remained 
here until my entire brigade passed, General Morgan going at the 
head of it. Colonel Cluke coming up to where I was standing, 
seemed to be perfectly exhausted, saying he would give a thousand 
dollars for an hour's sleep. I told him that I would hold his horse 
for him and he could sleep until my scouts came in. He at once 
assented and was soon fast asleep. It must have been two hours 
later, when Captain Taylor and Lieutenant McLain found me, and 
still Duke's brigade had not reached that point. Knowing the 
great danger of so wide a gap in our column, I sent Lieutenant 
McLain to find Duke and direct him to where he could find us, and 
in company with Colonel Cluke who had had his hour's sleep, we 
galloped forward until we found General Morgan, and gave him 
the information acquired. The scouts said that most of the town, 
was in the utmost confusion and there was no appearance of any 
advance against us; they thought the whole city would surrender 
if the demand was made. General Morgan said that in a city the 
size of Cincinnati his little force would entirely disappear and he 

. would never be able to collect them again. I halted my command 
on the outskirts of Cincinnati until Duke's advance communicated 
Vv'ith my rear. -Pushing forward, we passed Camp Denison and 
reached Williamsburg, where we went into camp for the night. We 
now felt that v/e had passed the real danger line, and nothing' 
serious interposed between us and the Confederate lines except the 
Ohio river. 



THE IX,DIANA AND OHIO RAID. 147 

The next morning we took up our line of march, feeling" a sense 
of security in our position. I think it was on the morning of the 
nineteenth, Duke's brigade being in the lead, with Morgan at its 
head, when I rode forward to get positive commands from General 
Morgan for crossing the Ohio, which was said to be but twenty-five 
miles ahead of us. I found him sitting on the gallery at a cross- 
roads store, where there was a line well; the boys were filling their 
canteens from the pump. The General greeted me with his bright 
smile, asking me to get down and rest a little, remarking: ''All 
our troubles are now over, the river is only twenty-five miles away, 
and to-morrow we will be on Southern soil." Resting awhile, we 
rode off together in the rear of Duke's advance guard. 

Morgan had given orders for the advance guard to arrest or 
hold any one they met or overtook on the road. We had 
hardly traveled a mile when the advance guard picked up a man, 
old and gray-bearded, who had been riding toward us. Morgan 
at once began to question him about the crossing of the river. He 
assured us that Long Bottom was about twenty miles down the 
river, but the ford was much deeper. Morgan concluded to take 
the right-hand road, and this proved to be a disastrous mistake, 
as by turning in that direction we were advancing toward the 
gunboats. In spite of all this we might have crossed the river, but 
the night came on so dark we could not discern the horses in our, 
immediate front, and fires had to built along the road to enable 
us to travel. 

Nothing worth recording occurred until about three o'clock in the 
morning, when I found a broad right-hand road intercepting ours. 
Sending Captain Bennett and his company to scout the road, I was 
informed that there was a heavy body of cavalry advancing. I 
sent two other companies to support Bennett, with instructions to 
hold the enemy in check. This gallant officer had no superior in 
such tactics. As soon as the re-inforcements reached him he made 
such a spirited attack on the enemy's advance that they believed 
Morgan's whole force was on them, and instead of advancing they 
made preparations for defense, and Bennett was able to keep them 
in check until the day revealed the small force that was opposing 
them. In the meantime I had reached Long Bottom, examined the 
ground in person and found a high ridge immediately on our right, 
not more than four hundred yards from the river. I immediately 
dispatched my adjutant to Colonel Duke to ascertain if he had 



I 



148 THE PARTISAN RAXGERS. 

occupied the ridge. He soon returned and told me Duke had 
not, but would do so in a few minutes. The shaip rattle of 
musketry and the bursting of shells over us showed that the enemy 
had already occupied the ridge. 1 at once formed my command 
so as to support Duke, who was falling back before overwhelming 
numbers. At this juncture. Major Bullitt, in command of the 
, Sixth Kentucky, threw his little force upon the advance of the 
enemy and held them in check, but this was only temporary. We 
were borne back by sheer force of numbers and Duke and myself 
were separated, he soon after being compelled to surrender, with 
the men still with him. 1 endeavored with the men gathered 
around me to stop the advance of the enemy. I did not succeed 
m doing this until I found Captain Shelton who had collected 
about twenty men, with a few rounds of ammunition left. Placing 
these few men with those about me in ambuscade, the first round 
arrested the pursuit, and we were not molested any more. 

Here again the pursuing forces lost an opportunity of capturing 
our whole command, as our ammunition was exhausted and the 
men worn out and somewhat demoralized. 

I soon received orders from General Morgan telling me to take 
m.y commiand to a ford some distance above, where he intended 
crossing, and I determined to cross at all hazards. Forming the 
men who were with me in column of fours, i appealed to them 
to keep their ranks and make a show at least of an organized 
force. There was hardly a company in the whole division that 
was not represented in this body of men. I assured them I wouli 
lead them across the river. Several of my staff had now joined 
me, and together with Captain Helm and a few of his men, we 
formed an advance-guard. We moved on toward the river and seeing 
the smoke of the gunboats coming up from below, I advised the 
men to push into the river as soon as we reached it. I took the 
lead and soon found myself in swimming water. Lieutenant 
Woodson, who could not swim, was by my side. He was riding 
one of those immense Norman horses, common to 
Ohio farms, which he had been using but a day, 
and I hoped it would be able to carry him safely across, 
but by the time we were half way over his horse turned on his side 
and floated against my mare. Seeing that this great weight would 
soon sink my horse, I jumped into the river and catching hold 
of the cantle of my saddle, and paddling along by the side of this 



THE INDIANA AND OHIO RAID. 149 

noble animal, I urged and coaxed her until she actually dragged 
the heavy weight to the other side, iMy whole attention for the 
time being having been directed to saving Woodson, I had not 
observed what was going on in my rear. As I reached the shore, 
I directed Woodson to take my horse to the woods, and ordered 
all those who followed him to go to the same point. Already the 
gunboats were throwing shells en the Ohio shore, and, believing that 
they would soon tum their guns on us, I hurried the men forward, 
out of their range. 

Looking across the river, I saw a number of hats floating on 
its surface, and knew that each represented the life of a brave 
and gallant Confederate, who had found a watery grave. Words 
are inadequate to express my desolation, and even wild thoughts 
of suicide flashed through my brain. Just then one of the hats 
v/as lifted out of the water, and a faint voice came to me, 
saying, "Oh, Colonel, can you do anything for me?" I rec- 
ognized Captain Neil Helm, one of my truest friends and most 
faithful followers, one who had been with me on the plains of 
Texas and had never failed me when surrounded by the savage 
Comanches. I determined to rescue him or die. Seeing an old 
skiflf on the bar, I rushed to it and shaking it from its sandy bed, 
I skimmed it over the ground as if it were a feather, and pushing 
it with a mighty force into the river, I sprang in and, jerking out 
one of the seats with superhuman effort, paddled to him just as he 
was about to sink. He had barely strength enough left to grasp 
and hold on to the stern of the boat. 

By this time the gunboats were on us, and the soldiers 
gathered on the bow looked down on us with guns in hand. 
Helm, believing they were going to shoot, pleaded with me to 
jump into the river, but knowing the skiff would soon sink, I 
paddled with all my might toward shore. The skiff sank before 
we reached the bank, and I jumped into the water to assist Helm 
and found it shallow enough to wade. Seizing him I dragged him 
on the sandbar. All this time there was not a shot frred at us 
and not a single shell was thrown on that side of the river. This 
was an act of humanity I am glad to record. We v/ere still in 
short range, and Helm, believing they would shoot, begged me 
to leave him. When I refused, he jumped to his feet and declared 
he would walk, and I supporting him, we reached the woods, 
where the men were now gathered, a liUle over three hundred. 



I 



150 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Believing they would soon have a force in pursuit of us, I 
moved the men as rapidly as possible across the mountains, and 
traveling- by unfrequented roads, we reached Green Briar county, 
\'irginia. When we first came in sight of fields of harvested 
wheat and green, waving corn, I am sure each one of us felt as 
much pleasure as did Moses of old when he first viewed the 
Promised Land. 



CHAPTbR XXI. 



MORGAN'S MEN REORGAXIZKD. 



Leaving temporarily in Green Briar county, Virginia, the men I 
led from the Ohio river, with my adjutant, Captain S. P. 
Cunningham, 1 departed for Richmond. 

I had hardly gained my room at the Spotswood Hotel, in the 
evening of August the first, when Senator E. M. Bruce asked 
admittance. He seemed to be very much agitated, and directly 
after his salutation, he said, " Colonel Johnson, I wish to have 
an interview with you before you make your report to the War 
Department, to ascertain how you stand in regard to General 
Morgan. I must tell you that General Bragg has been denouncing 
him as a disorganizer, and declaring that he had gone on this 
Indiana and Ohio raid against his orders. Colonel Grigsby, who 
escaped with you, has asked that the men be dismounted and 
turned over to him to aid in the formation of an infantry command 
he contemplates. Everything at present appears to be contrary 
to the interest of General Morgan and his men. But the entire 
Kentucky delegation are their friends. Our hopes are in you 
whom we know to be the ranking officer outside of prison, and I 
am here to knov/ if we can count on you in this extremity." 

I replied that I had a department of my own, and had come 
to Richmond to ask permission to return to it at once, that I had 
never regarded myself as permanently attached to Morgan's 
command, and believed that I could accomplish much more. good 
for the Confederacy by recruiting and fighting in Kentucky than by 
connecting myself with the main army. 

Mr. Bruce insisted that they must have my assistance in this 

151 



\ 



152 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

emergency, that he felt sure that many of the best of Morgan's 
men would be lost to the Confederacy if forced to join the 
infantry, and that General Bragg would do all in his power to 
have General Morgan court-martialed. 

To this my rejoinder was that 1 would take into consideration 
the proposition of reorganizing the command and would give my 
answer to-morrow morning before going to the War Department. 

Mr. Bruce took his departure saying he would call at nine 
o'clock the next day, and that 1 had now the opportunity of doing 
a most generous act. 

He had scarcely gotten out the door before Hon. Henry 
Burnett, Congressman Bradley, and several other representatives 
from Kentucky, made their appearance on a like errand, expressing 
similar sentiments and opinions. To all of them I gave the 
same reply, namely, that I would give them an answer at nine 
o'clock in the morning. 

A perplexing problem confronted me, and I debated quickly 
with myself whether I should give up my own individuality and 
all my cherished plans for another expedition into western Ken- 
tucky or sacrifice all these in protecting an absent officer's interest 
and that of his men, not only outside but inside the prison, as 
the fate of the latter would almost certainly follow that of the 
former. 

The latter considerations prevailed, and preserved Morgan's 
command in all probability, and in the morning, when almost all 
of the Kentucky delegation presented themselves at my room to 
receive answer, I gladdened the hearts of these patriotic men by 
informing them that I had decided to undertake the task of re- 
organizing the force, provided that it was to retain its original title 
"Morgan's Command," and to be mounted again as cavalry. 

Colonel William Preston Johnson, with Bruce and Burnett, 
accompanied me to interview General Cooper, and the outcome of 
the matter was that I gained my point upon assuring him that if 
allowed to reorganize these men outside of General Bragg's de- 
partment I would guarantee five hundred men mounted and ready 
for service in the space of ninety days, and in event of failure to 
fulfill this promise, I would turn all the men over to the War 
Department and accompany them wherever they were sent, no 
matter to what branch of service they were relegated. General 
Cooper, however, at first was incredulous, not believing the task could 



M ORG AX'S MEN REORGANIZED. 153 

be performed, and replied, ''Young man, you wish to undertake 
an impossibility; we are unable to obtain horses for our artillery, 
and half of our cavalry are horseless." 

To this I answered, " General Cooper, this makes it more 
important that I should undertake this business. You have just 
said that the cavalry was a very important branch of the service 
and that half of them were without horses, hence ineffective. 1 
know I am undertaking a difficult job, but the fact is our men 
are better able to mount themselves than any men in the Con- 
federacy. They belong to the best families in Kentucky, and 
there is hardly one of these who has a dollar who will not aid 
them. Moreover, you say these men ought to be collected, and 
1 assure you that the very best and quickest way is to make x 
call upon them to assemble at some convenient place for the 
purpose of reorganizing as cavalrymen." 

At this juncture, Bruce stepped forward and said, " General 
Cooper, if you will permit General Johnson to take charge of 
these men, as he has requested, we Kentuckians will raise one 
hundred thousand dollars to assist him in his laudable and 
laborious task, if it be necessary." General Cooper replied, " Mr. 
Bruce, 1 will read General Johnson's report of the Indiana and Ohio 
raid and will then give you my answer." 

When the callers had reached the anteroom, Senator Burnett, 
in his exultation said, "General Johnson, you have exceeded our 
expectations, and we believe that you can and will succeed in 
your enterprise. I advise you to go at once and see Colonel 
William Preston Johnston, and explain to him all your plan." 

I immediately called at the executive department and explained 
everything so satisfactorily to Colonel Johnston that he directly 
took me to see President Davis, who questioned me closely 
about the great raid, which came so near being a magnificent and 
glorious success in its entirety, and which at any rate kept many 
thousands of Federals from their armies in the South, as they were 
completely broken down in the long continued chase; there was 
created a mighty uneasiness and alarm in all the border States of 
the North, which caused fchem to retain many thousand more men 
permanently, who otherwise would have gone South. 

The President also inquired minutely how I proposed to collect 
so many men and horses. Like General Cooper, he thought the 



I 



154 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

task impossible, but agreed that my method of assembling them 
was the most feasible. 

At the end of the conversation, though Mr. Davis did not 
express his full approbation, I felt that 1 had won the victory, and 
so informed my friends. 

I had a second interview with Colonel William Preston John- 
ston, and requested him to use his influence in my behalf, and 
permission gained, to get me the authority to report to General 
Buckner, hoping to obtain consent from him to take Morristown, 
Tennessee, as the place of rendezvous. A promise was given, 
with the happy result that the desired orders were issued, and 
a general order sent to all quartermasters and commissaries for 
transportation and rations to all men on their way to General 
Johnson's camp at Morristown. I advertised in the newspapers 
the order from the War Department for all Morgan's men to 
report at this place. A general order was also sent by the War 
Department, instructing all the officers in the army to send to 
Morristown any of those men who might be in their command. 

One of these men, whose name is not given, furnished General 
Duke, for his " History of Morgan's Cavalry " an account of this 
camp, some extracts from which are here given. " On the — 
of August, 1863, Johnson issued orders, under instructions from 
General Buckner, for all men belonging to Morgan's command to 
report to him at Morristown, in East Tennessee. These orders 
were published in the Knoxville papers, and upon its being known 
that there was a place of rendezvous, every man who had been 
left behind when General Morgan started on the Ohio raid now 
pushed forward eagerly to the point designated. When that ex- 
pedition was undertaken many had been sent back from Albany, 
Kentucky, as guards for returning trains, others because their 
horses were unserviceable. Many, too, had been left on account 
of sickness or disability from wounds. In a week or two 
General Johnson had collected between four and five hundred 
men, including those who had made their escape from Ohio. 
The general also issued an address to this effect : ' Members of 
General John H. Morgan's Command: Orders have been issued 
by the War Department for all officers and men of your old 
command to report at once at Morristown to be re-mounted and 
reorganized and held together in the name of your brave and 
unfortunate commander. General John H. Morgan, who is now 



M ORG AX'S MEN REORGANIZED. 155 

suffering close confinement and unmilitary indignities in a Northern 
penitentiary. I appeal to you for the love you bear him, for the 
glory you have won under his command, and for the great and 
holy cause for which you have voluntarily left your homes, to 
come at once and join your comrades and be prepared to follow 
General Morgan again as soon as he has returned to the 
Confederacy.' '' 

Every train brought in some of these men until over twelve 
hundred had been collected inside of sixty days.. Orders from 
the War Department were read, requiring the men to remain in 
camp except upon orders to leave, and to drill daily. They were 
told by 'their commander that they were expected to re-mount 
themselves. They devised every honest means to obtain horses. 
Many sold their watches for this purpose, others received aid from 
home through trusted men sent by me into Kentucky. Hon. E. 
M. Bruce notified me that all the men who needed money should 
have it, those who could to repay him, but nothing expected 
from those unable to do so. This generous, noble man used his 
money freely and even lavishly. 

I notified the citizens in every direction that I would buy their 
horses and pay full value in cash. In less than sixty days I had 
more than seven hundred men miounted and ready for service and 
many more not yet equipped. General Buckner gave me all the 
assistance possible. In less than thirty days from the time I 
began my encampment I received orders from General Buckner 
to send a force into the mountains between Morristowm, East 
Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina, to disperse some bush- 
whackers who were killing the men with forage trains. While 
this was a distasteful business, a hazardous service unattended by 
glory, I proceeded to execute the order. Sending for Colonel 
Bob Martin, I told him to select one hundred men, and placing 
twenty-five of them under Captain Neil Helm, and twenty-five 
under the command of Captain Quirk, to start toward Asheville; 
these two captains must protect his flanks, one on the right, the 
other lon the left; he was to require every man under him to be 
ready to charge quickly to the spot whence a shot came. In this 
expedition, thirty bushwhackers were killed and fifty-six prisoners 
taken; thirty-seven serviceable horses also were brought in. 
Colonel Martin's loss was but one killed and five wounded. This 



156 THE P ART I S AN RANGERS. 

was one of the most successful attacks upon bushwhackers ever 

accomplished. 

After this Lieutenant J. B. Gathright also successfully conducted 
an anti-bushwhacking expedition in another direction, and these 
two well-planned and well-executed movements seemed to have 
exercised a salutary influence far and wide. 

Colonel Martin led this entire body of Morgan's men now 
fairly equipped into the battle of Chickamauga, where they acted a 
conspicuous and brilliant part, notwithstanding the continued 
vexatious and harassing interference of General Bragg, which 
would have been more or less demoralizing to any command. 
Between Bragg and the other Kentucky troops, who had been 
longer under his command, there were much friction and bad 
feeling, and apparently the irascible old man extended his ani- 
mosity to these men who had lately come under his command, 
because they came from the same State. For no sooner had 1 
reported to him, as the commander of the department, tlian he 
at once began to make arrangements for dismounting these men, 
in accordance with his original determination to make infantry out 
of them. And had it not been for General Forrest, General 
Bragg would have spoilt in a few days the work of Generals 
Morgan, Duke and myself, a work which it had taken years to 
accomplish. General Forrest ran the risk of a trial by court- 
martial by refusing to carry out this policy of Bragg' s. To 
ignore more decidedly this order to dismount the Morgan horse- 
men, General Forrest, as the immediate commander of all cavalry 
in this region, gave orders that I should establish my headquarters 
at Ringgold, Georgia, with one battalion, and Qolonel Martin, 
with another battalion, should go to the right and guard the 
woods south from Chattanooga, while Captain Helm should have 
charge of the scouts. It was made the duty of these officers to 
keep General Forrest posted as to every movement of the enemy 
within their lines of observation. 

But we had hardly been settled In our different quarters, when 
it was reported that General Bragg was still bent on carrying out 
his design of dismounting the Kentucky contingent, his animosity 
against the men in general from that State now seeming to 
culminate in an inimical feeling against me, because I had thwarted 
him at the war department in his machinations, and had it not 



MORGAN'S MEN REORGANIZED. 157 



been for the resolute action of Forrest, who again positively 
refused to execute his order's, Bragg might this time have succeeded. 
Whatever other things may be alleged as the cause of the breach 
between Forrest and Bragg, I think the real cause was Forrest's 
action in our behalf. 

Immediately after the commencement of hostilities between the 
North and South, Forrest had hastened to Louisville and laid in 
a large quantity ^of war material; on this trip he secured as his 
first company a body of Kentuckians under Captain Frank 
Overton. 

He had, all told, several thousand Kentuckians under him during 
the war. He well knew the fighting qualities of Kentucky's sons, 
and was always their friend and champion, and they in turn admired 
and loved him, and would have done anything he asked, no matter 
what the odds against them. But, notwithstanding Forrest's 
active championship upon this occasion Bragg separated from me 
my two m.ounted battalions which he never, so long as he was 
in command of the army, allowed to rejoin me or Morgan, and 
put me over the men I had not yet succeeded in mounting. 

But Colonel Martin, with one of the battalions, was chosen to 
open in advance of our infantry the great battle of Chickamauga, 
on the right, and by their gallantry in charging and running out 
of their fortified position the Federal infantry, the Kentuckians 
attracted the attention of General Hill, who sought out General 
Forrest during the thickest of the tight and complimented him 
on their action. And subsequent to the battle it was again Martin, 
who with this battalion drove the defeated Federals out of their 
advanced works at Chattanooga. Then it was that the redoubtable 
Forrest begged and pleaded with the nervous Bragg, who ever 
acted after a battle as if he, and not the enemy, had been whipped, 
to move on to that city in close pursuit of the Federals who had 
just lost Chickamauga, and in their panic-stricken condition, were 
willing and ready to give up Chattanooga. But Bragg, as all the 
world knows, did not move. It is my conviction that had Bragg 
advanced, the Federals would have retrograded clear to Nashville, 
their only safe, fortified stopping-place in Tennessee, and all East 
Tennessee would have been in our hands again. 

It was a memorable morning the next day after this brilliant 
feat of arms : Martin had formed our boys in the outskirts of Chatta- 
nooga, when General Forrest came riding down the line of the 



\ 



158 THE PARTISAN RAXGERS. 

Kentucky battalion, and taking oit his hat in honor of the 
prowess they had shown, exclaimed, '' Any man who says that 
Morgan's men are not good soldiers and fine fighters tells a damn 
lie." This characteristic speech of Forrest gave the boys more genuine 
delight than if he had made them the most eloquent and eulogistic 
address, for they recognized it as the natural, spontaneous out- 
burst of the great cavalry chieftain. Whether or not it contained 
a barbed arrow for the breast of Bragg, they considered it a signal 
vindication on the part of their brave champion. 

Bragg ordered me to move into East Tennessee, and Forrest^ 
still fearing that Bragg wanted to dismount the Kentucky boys, 
in turn ordered me to take them along also, to get them as far as 
possible from '''the old man's clutches." 

Placed in command of Davidson's brigade of Forrest's divisioa 
I pushed by forced marches towards Athens, Tennessee, and 
had a little skirmishing near that place \\'ith some Federals, who 
fell back in the direction of Chattanooga. Forrest, following, 
received orders to return, and to give me a chance to finally thwart 
Bragg's intentions, he ordered me to report to the War Department 
at Richmond. 

I left as soon as possible, after securing letters of commendation 
from Buckner, Breckinridge and Forrest. These letters, together 
\vith the co-operation of the ever friendly Kentucky delegation, 
^\-ho nearly ah\'ays worked as a unit, enabled me to obtain an 
order countermanding the order of Bragg for the dismounting of 
Morgan's cavalr}^ This nullification of the pet scheme of " the 
old man " greatly exasperated him, and he so far forgot his o^^'n 
dignity and that of the War Department as to telegraph an in- 
sulting message to this august branch of the government, and 
received, in his turn, a severe rebuke, which General Cooper 
informicd me was the first ever administered by President Davis. . 

General Bragg was so careless, if not untruthful, as to state in 
his telegram that I had deserted my command while upon a dan- 
gerous expedition with General \A'heeler. This he did not give 
as a report but m.ade as a positive statement, as if he had otficial 
knowledge of the alleged fact. He asserted further that my men 
in large numbers had also deserted. This apparently malicious 
statement only strengthened my case ^^•ith the war department, 
for they all knew that I had never gone on any such expedition 
with General Wheeler, and as to the desertion of some of my 



M ORG AX'S MEX REORGAXIZED. 159 

men, they knew also that Bragg was merely stating the condition 
1 had warned the war department would follow if they allowed 
my men to be dismounted. General Bragg put himself in a very bad 
light by making this incorrect statement, if prevarication and false- 
hood are too strong terms to characterize his allegations. He simply 
ruined his case in court. I was fully authorized to extend notice that 
there would be, without delay, a second reorganization of Morgan's 
men. I was given carte blanche for transportation and supplies, 
and was informed that General Hardee would soon be in 
command of the army and that I would be allowed to select my 
own quarters in that department. General Cooper stated, more- 
over, that notwithstanding they thought it would be impossible 
for me to succeed in remounting so many horseless men it was 
resolved to allow me ninety days in which to make the elfort, and if 
I could get five hundred horses in that time the command v/ould. 
be held intact, but if a failure should ensue they would, all be 
mustered into the infantry. When I reported to General Hardee 
he laughed at the idea of my being able to mount that many men, 
while he himself had failed to and horses enough to supply a 
battery. 

Selecting Decatur, Georgia, I went into camp with only my 
.adjutant, and sent an advertisement to every important paper in 
the South, urging the men of Morgan's command to report at 
once to me, under special orders of Adjutant General Cooper. 
Soon I had a nucleus around which I expected at least several 
hundred to gather. Among the first to report were nine chaplains; 
these I sent to solicit supplies in the different States, and as i 
had been amply . supplied with Confederate money, I offered to 
pay for everything and to pay the diiference between serviceable 
horses and those in camp. I also arranged the quarterm.aster's 
department and began the manufacture of saddles, boots and shoes, 
placing Captain J. B. Gathright in charge of this work with 
Captain Paul Marrs as assistant. The enterprise, energy and in- 
telligence of these two excellent otficers enabled me to accomplish 
this purpose; and in less than sixty days I had over seven 
hundred horses fit for service, and had collected about seven 
hundred men, all of whom were well clothed and fed, and within 
the specified time I would have had the entire command mounted had 
not General Morgan, who had lately escaped from prison, returned 
to Tennessee and issued a proclamation countermanding my orders 



\ 

I 



160 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

and plans, stating that the war department would give him all the 
supplies he needed. 

But this statement he made upon the supposition that the 
government had an abundance of supplies, in which he soon found 
he was mistaken ; and upon reaching Decatur, he had the candor and 
frankness to confess to me that he had sadly overestimated the 
ability of the government in this line. Surprised and apparently 
delighted with the work I had done in so short a time and in 
such a general scarcity of all things necessary to the rehabilitation 
of his command, he generously refused to supersede me, and 
ere long I had orders to take the men to Abingdon, Virginia. Soon 
thereafter I was ordered to report at Richmond, in person, for very 
important special service; whereupon General Morgan took 
command of his reorganized force, made up of fragments of his 
former different regiments. The majority of his men were still 
in Northern prisons, from which, however, so many were escaping 
through their daring ingenuity, that the commandant of one of 
these posts declared that the " authorities at Washing-ton mjght as 
well turn all of Morgan's men out in a body, as they would all 
get out singly, anyhow." 

I had been located in a district that both the Confederate gov- 
ernment and General Hardee had declared entirely stripped of 
horses, and it is said that every official, even General Cooper who 
befriended me so kindly, was of the opinion that it would be a 
superhuman task to mount one hundred men, and that the idea 
of securing five hundred horses in ninety days was too preposterous 
to be seriously considered, although they allowed me to attempt 
it, since I was so confident and enthusiastic in my belief that 1 
could accom.plish it if allowed to try. Over seven hundred horses 
fit for service, and nearly five hundred dismounted men recently 
scattered all over 'the South, were in camp when General Morgan 
escaped from prison. Of course this work could not have been 
done had I not able and willing assistants. The men were in a 
good state of subordination and discipline, forming a body of 
efficient soldiers all ready to General Morgan's hands. Having had 
orders from the war department, as I have mentioned, to report 
at Richmond as soon as I had disposed of Morgan's reorganized 
command at Abingdon, Virginia, I obeyed the instructions, and 
arrived there about the first of May, i864. 

The authorities complimented me highly upon my success in 



MORGAN'S MEN REORGANIZED. 161 

collecting and mounting, and supplying with the necessary war ma- 
terial so many men in such a short time, but informed me that they 
had now '' a more important work for me to do, one that required 
not only extraordinary energy and enterprise, but extreme caution 
and excellent memory, too, since my orders could not be entrusted 
to writing, and that great secrecy and tact were requisite for the 
momentous enterprise in which 1 was to be engaged." This 
meant another trip into Kentucky and Tennessee. I was expected 
to co-operate with General Forrest and perhaps with the main 
army also, now in Georgia. Secret emissaries were to be sent 
into the disaffected portions of Indiana and Illinois to aid up- 
risings of citizens who were favorable, to the South or sick of the war. 
Instructions were to be given me through Colonel William Preston 
Johnston, who would give me daily lessons in his secret verbal code, 
reminding me of the confidential instructions given me in Mis- 
sissippi several years before by General John C. Breckinridge, when 
about to send me to Henderson. The despatch of this business 
and my subsequent work in Kentucky were known at Richmond, 
and were perhaps the cause of my being selected for a somewhat sim- 
ilar expedition, but one of infinitely greater moment. I soon came 
to look upon this expedition as the forlorn hope of the Con- 
federate States Government in its dire extremity. 



\ 

I 

f 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 



Grant's policy of persistent attrition by pounding away at the 
dwindling army of Lee, after he found out he could not conquer it 
by strokes of arms, had gradually worn it into the historic "thin 
gray line" the Northern newspapers and military critics were so 
frequently mentioning. 

Sherman was destroying not only the homes of the people in 
the central South but the granary upon which Lee relied to feed 
his army and was threatening to destroy railroad communications 
in the rear; conservative England, sympathizing with the South, 
but fearing the loss of Canada, had declined Louis Napoleon's 
proposition for simultaneous recognition of the Confederacy and 
active intervention by France and England jointly if necessary. 

Something must be done soon, some coup de 
main performed, which would terrify the Northern 
heart or the South must succumb to the forces 
of Grant and Sherman, united in their brutal policy of 
non-exchange of prisoners. There was a very considerable contest 
between a Kentucky delegation, including General Breckinridge, 
and the opposition led by General Bragg. The day after the 
battle of Cold Harbor the Kentuckians called General Lee into 
their council; I learned from General Breckinridge that when Lee 
was asked his opinion, he said that it was absolutely necessary 
to make a demonstration in some direction to withdraw the forces 
that Grant had in his front, and if the conditions in Kentucky 
were as favorable as General Breckinridge thought they were, it 
was the most feasible and also the most vulnerable place within 
the Federal lines. 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 163 

I was informed by Colonel William Preston Johnston that if 
my report as to the feeling of Kentucky should be favorable, 
General Joseph E. Johnston was to invade that State. If the 
people were still in sympathy with the South and necessary 
supplies for the sustenance of an army could be obtained, a strong 
enough force would be sent this time to hold the State. It was 
furthermore resolved that General Forrest, then in Mississippi, 
should go to Kentucky. 

During one of my visits to General Cooper President Davis 
came into the room, and going to the wall took down a large 
map, and placed it on the table. He did not observe me. He 
ran his finger over the map for a minute or two and then asked 
General Cooper what was the full force that he could give 
General Lee. General Cooper answered that forty-six thousand 
men was the entire force, and that three thousand of these would 
have to be used to protect the Orangeburg road, and he believed 
that forty-two thousand would be the full number of the men 
that Lee could carry into action. Mr. Davis then inquired what 
was Cooper's information relative to the size of the Federal 
army. Cooper answered that Grant had over one hundred and 
twenty thousand of the best armed and equipped men that were 
ever mustered into service, and that they would be reinforced 
daily. Looking General Cooper steadily in the face, Mr. Davis 
asked, " Do you believe that General Lee will be able to sustain 
himself against this force ? " " \ believe that it will be impossible 
for him to do so," General Cooper replied. 

The President hesitated a full minute, and then quietly but 
firmly responded, " I think that he will sustain himself, and I will 
not order the archives of the government to be removed." He 
then walked out of the room. 

General Cooper turning to me, said, " Young man, you are now 
entrusted with a State secret that must not be divulged." I 
assured him that it would be held sacred by me, and asiced to 
be sent to the front. But he reminded me that I had been 
reserved for special duty, and must wait until he was ready for 
me. The great battles that now followed from the Wilderness to 
Cold Harbor, I think constituted one of the greatest campaigns in 
all history. 

After the battle of Cold Harbor and Grant's virtual retreat down 
the James river, seeking the protection of his gunboats, I received 



\ 

I 



161 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

my order to go to Kentucky. I was authorized to take such 
supernumerary officers as I could depend upon, together with my 
adjutant, Captain Cunningham, Captain Marrs, my quartermaster, 
and T. J. Johnson, commissary. These were furnished with 
ample funds, and my orders were to move at once to my old 
department of West Tennessee and western Kentucky, where I must 
endeavor to make things lively enough to divert a threatened 
attack upon Saltville, Virginia, for which preparations were 
making in Kentucky. If possible, I was to co-operate in 
releasing the Confederate prisoners at Camp Morton, Indiana, and 
at Camp Douglas, near Chicago. I was assured that Forrest was 
expected to help me, and that our main army would flank Sher- 
m^an and move also into Kentucky. As soon as General Joseph 
H. Johnston had executed this flank movement, I was to commence 
cutting the railroads in Sherman's rear, especially the Louisville 
and Nashville railroad beyond Nashville. 

By the time I reached Atlanta, I had fifty men, including 
officers, but when I applied to General Joseph E. Johnston for 
munitions of war he replied that it was impossible for him to 
supply me with a gun or cartridge. This caused considerable 
delay. At last I appealed to Governor Brown, of Georgia, whose 
interest was at once enlisted, and he opened his State arsenal and 
gave me everything necessary for the expedition. Upon the morning 
of July 4th, I started upon my journey, going around the right 
wing of the Federal army, and heading for Mussel Shoals, Ten- 
nessee river. The Federals discovered my entrance into their 
lines, and put a considerable force on my trail. All roads were 
guarded, but I managed to elude the efforts to capture my little 
party. In north Alabama I met Rousseau's force of three thousand 
cavalry on their way to cut Johnston's lines in the rear of Atlanta. 
Dispatching a courier to inform the authorities of this raid, I 
prepared an ambuscade to endeavor to impede the movement. 
Placing my men in a ravine, I sent two men into the road to 
fire upon their advance-guard and then to retreat, through the 
intervening field, to the ravine. They executed their mission well, 
but while the ruse occasioned some confusion in the Federal force, 
they declined to follow our scouts, as if they feared some snare. 
We camped that night in the ravine, and sent out details to procure 
provisions, Captain Shanks having charge of one party, and Dick 
Stonestreet of another. Meeting in the dark, and each detail 



' THE FORLORN HOPE. 165 

mistaking the other for the enemy, Stonestreet was seriously 
wounded by a load of buckshot fired into his breast. I never saw 
a man more distressed than Shanks when he discovered his great 
blunder. He carried the wounded man to a neighboring house, 
where the latter assured him that he had no cause to censure him, 
as he himself was just preparing to shoot a volley into the other 
party. 

This was the only incident worthy of note until we reached the 
valley of the Tennessee near the Shoals, where we found several 
hundred of Dibrell's men encamped, the officer in charge not only 
■supplying us with provisions, but guiding us in our passage of 
the river. The ford was very deep and dangerous, but we 
succeeded in crossing without loss. 

There was hardly a day afterwards that we were not compelled 
1o deviate from our course on account of parties of the enemy 
trying to intercept us. But by extra caution we managed to elude 
all of them and finally reached our destination in Union county, 
Kentucky, on the Ohio river, about the middle of July. 

As soon as I could communicate with my friends in Henderson, 
1 ascertained that the Federal General Burbridge had already 
collected in upper Kentucky a very strong force with the intention 
of capturing Saltville, Virginia, and cutting Lee's communication 
in that direction. As a diversion, I issued a proclamation, declaring 
Ihat I had authority from the Confederate States' Government 
to conscript recruits from all over the State and should begin at 
once on a large scale. This paper was published everywhere, with 
the effect, as desired, of causing Burbridge to postpone his con- 
templated expedition, and giving me time to notify the Con- 
federate authorities, who, when he finally made his raid had made 
preparations to meet him, resulting in a splendid victory gained 
b)y General John C. Breckinridge, who utterly routed and wildly, 
stampeded the boastful Burbridge's much larger and in every 
way better equipped force. 

Following is the proclamation: 

Headquarters in the Field, August 14, 1864. 

*' Citizens of Kentucky : 

" The alternative is now offered you of entering either the 
Federal or the Confederate army. 

'' All persons between the age of seventeen and forty-five, who 



\ 

I 



166 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

are not lawfully exempt, will be required to go into service at 
once. You must now see that after the sacrifice of all that freemen 
should hold dear, to avoid the evil and save our property, 
the one has not been rendered secure, and you have not saved 
yourself from the other, even by the sacrifice of principle and 
honor. 

" Your country has been overrun by lawless bands, whose 
depredations are only equalled by the outrages of large bands of 
the Federal army, who neither feel nor have any respect for the 
submissionists, and you are plundered and robbed and murdered 
with impunity. How long do you intend this to continue ? To what 
depth of degradation and shame are you to be reduced before 
you will cut loose the" bond of slavery and assert your rights as 
freemen of Kentucky? Are you willing to see your families 
reduced to the level of your slaves? Mothers, can you realize an 
affiliation of your daughters with the African? Young men, can 
you expect to have any claim to manhood? Can you hope to 
share the smile or claim the love of the bright-eyed daughters 
of this famed land of beauty, while those gentle beings are sub- 
jected to the insults of Yankee hirelings and negro troops? If 
not, then seize the only way to bring you true liberty and honor. 
Too long have you listened to the siren song of the traitors to 
their country. Already too much has been sacrificed to no 
advantage. Your only hope of peace is the success of the 
Southern armies. Not alone your liberty, but your lives are 
involved in this issue. The moderate Union man, the Democrat of 
the North, as well as the Southern soldier, will all owe their lives 
and liberty to this result. 

" I appeal to you again, as I did two years ago,to rally and 
strike a blow for the freedom of your country. 

"A. R. JOHNSON, 
" Colonel Commanding Confedrate Forces in Southern Kentucky." 

Let the following extracts from the " History of Henderson 
county, Kentucky," written by Colonel E. L. Starling, formerly an 
officer in the Federal army, show our movements for the next few 
days: 

" On Saturday, the thirteenth, Colonel Adam R. Johnson, with 
his command, arrived within three miles of the city, and great fear 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 167 

was entertained lest he should come in and the citizens be losers 
thereby, for the gunboat " Brilliant " was lying directly in front, 
anchored broadside, with her guns bearing upon the defenseless 
place. A committee of citizens waited upon Captain Perkins, of 
the " Brilliant," to ascertain if it was his design to fire upon the 
city. Captain Perkins stated that he had no desire to imperil the 
city by fire, and thereby render houseless the women and children 
and non-combatants, but that he had imperative orders to fire if 
it was occupied by rebel troops. The committee then went forth- 
with to see Col. Adam R. Johnson, but he was absent from his 
camp. A communication was left, and on Monday morning the 
following reply was, received: 

" * Headquarters Dept. Southern Ky. 

"'August 13, 1864. 
^' ' To the Citizens of Henderson, Ky. : 

" ' I am just in receipt of a communication to the effect that the 
Federal commander of the gunboat had notified the citizens of 
Henderson if any of my men came into Henderson that he would 
shell the town, and requesting me not to send any of my command 
to town. This request I can not comply with. So long as Hen- 
derson remains ungarrisoned I shall send my men into the town 
whenever I deem the interest of the Government requires it. The 
shelling of the Federal commander will be uncalled for unless an 
attack be made upon the gunboat. Whenever depredations are 
committed by men under my authority, you may rest assured I 
shall have them severely punished. 

" ' Respectfully, 

" ' A. R. JOHNSON, 
"'P. S. — I do not expect to occupy the place or use it as a 
garrison. A. R. J. 

" ' Colonel Comm'g. C. S. Forces, Sou. Ky. ' 

\\ " Colonel Johnson did not come into Henderson, but on that 
morning sent in a flag of truce, carried by officer Thomas Watson, 
of Henderson county, who held a consultation with Captain Perkins 
and Lieutenant Little, of the " Brilliant," at the Hancock House, in 
reference to two of the robbers who were with the invading party 
at the time Mr. James E. Rankin was shot. Colonel Johnson had 
captured these two men, calling themselves Captain R. Yates and 



\ 

I 



168 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Captain Jones, and now offered to surrender them to the civil 
authorities. They were subsequently surrendered to D. N. Walden, 
sheriff of Henderson county, who took them before Judge C. W. 
Hutchen, who opened his court to give them a prehminary hearing 
upon the charge of robbery, and also as accessories to the shooting 
of Mr. Rankin. Captain Perkins, in command of ten marines, came 
into court and demanded the men in the name of the United States, 
when Judge Hutchen, very good naturedly, complied by directing 
the sheriif to turn them over. The men were then marched to the 
river in charge of the marines and taken aboard of the gunboat. 
A few days afterward Captain Perkins forwarded them to head- 
quarters at Louisville, where they were imprisoned and subsequently 
shot. 

"The News, of August 16th, said: 

" ' Our city is nearly depopulated, particularly of the young men 
subject to conscript or draft. As for ourselves, we intend to remain 
till the last day of grace, believing that prudent council and patient 
endeavor can yet save Henderson from the flames.' 

" Colonel Adam R. Johnson's conscript order was soon to be 
rigidly enforced; that is, it was -so said, and every man who was 
of conscript age and unwilling to leave his home for the war in 
either army, was dodging around as best he could to avoid the 
conscript officers. 

" The whole county surrounding Henderson was in a tumult of 
excitement, and intense anxiety was impressed upon every non- 
combatant's countenance. 

" On the seventeenth Generals Hughes and Hovey, with six 
hundred of the Thirty-sixth, and three hundred of General 
Willich's brigade, all re-enlisted Indiana soldiers, with four twelve- 
pounders, left Evansville for Union county to intercept Johnson's 
recruits, and, if possible, to drive him from the country. 

" Arriving at Mt. Vernon, the command was re-enforced by a 
large force of Warrick and Posey county home-guards, with three 
more cannon. Most of these troops were finely mounted, many 
of them on horses which had been sent to Evansville from Hen- 
derson for safe keeping, and, by the by, never returned to their 
owners. After marching through Union county, this body of 
troopers came into Henderson Saturday morning, the dirtiest 
looking set that had been seen, bringing with them a perfect army 
of cattle which they had captured, several captured buggies and 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 169 

their drivers, a great many captured teams and their drivers, a 
number of horses, fifty-seven negroes, two rebel prisoners, six or 
seven citizen prisoners and one wounded home-guard as relics of 
the raid. The Generals fixed their headquarters at the Hancock 
House, while the soldiers took possession, with the cattle and other 
evidences of military ardor, of the public square. A number of 
these scattered over the city, committing petty thefts and insulting 
citizens. The horses (many of them owned in Henderson) were 
quartered at the various livery stables and fed, while the citizens, 
with their accustomed hospitality, invited the tired soldiers to dine 
at their tables. In the evening all of the soldiery, with the exception 
of one hundred veterans of the Thirty-six.th Indiana, left by steamer 
for Evansville. Those remaining took possession of the court house. 
Next morning they were called to Evansville." 

The day after publishing my "Proclamation," I forwarded to 
Richmond my second official report, which I append with its 
endorsement, as copied from the official records of the Civil War 
and sent to me by the War Department at Washington, D. C, in 
January, 1904: 

"Headquarters Department Southern Kentucky, 

"Union County, August 15, 1864. 

" Hon. Secretary of War, Richmond, Va. 

" Dear Sir :— When I came into this State under orders to rejoin 
my command (which was here when i started) I found that 
General Morgan had returned to Virginia, and believing it to be 
my duty to employ myself to the best advantage for the good of 
my country, I took the responsibility to remain here, where I found 
a large number of my old regiment (the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry) 
who had been captured and placed under heavy bonds. They were 
willing to fight, but anxious to be forced into service. I assumed 
the responsibility of selecting a department and enforcing the 
conscript law. In all these things I have been actuated but by one 
motive — the advancement of our cause, and am anxious to have 
your approval of my acts, and hope to receive it when I inform 
you of the present results and future expectations of my proceed- 
ings. Arriving in Kentucky August 1st, I commenced active hostil- 
ities and energetic recruiting. Up to to-day I have recruited, 
mounted, armed, and equipped 1,870 men, organized as follows: 



170 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Major Chenoweth's regiment, with Captain S. P. Cunningham, 
former assistant adjutant general of Morgan's command, as heuten- 
ant-colonel; it numbers 587 men and will number at least 75o 
ere this reaches 3'Ou. Captain Sypert's regiment, numbering 633 
men, with Lieutenant R. B. Soery as lieutenant-colonel, and 320 
of my old regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Napier of the Sixth 
Kentucky Cavalry, with 320 men under an officer to ^\'hom I have 
given authority to raise a regiment. This recruiting has no parallel in 
the history of the war, and I am satisfied that by the 10th of 
September I will have 3,000 effective cavalry operating against the 
transportation by both river and rail to Sherman's army. We have 
killed 28 Federals, wounded 83, captured 147. We have captured 
and secured 28,000 pounds of bacon, 37,000 bushels of com, 18,000 
bushels of oats, 830 fat cattle, 43 boxes of army clothing, and 7 
transports with supplies for the Yankee army. Have at present the 
Ohio river blockaded from Henderson, Ky., to Mound City, 111., and 
hold undisputed possession of eight (8) counties in southern Ken- 
tucky. By obtaining immediate orders from the department to 
remain and operate on the Ohio river and the Louisville and 
Chattanooga lines of railroad I am satisfied that I can destroy 
Sherman's communications, relieve my department of Federals, 
and arm and equip an effective cavalry force of 2,5oo men and 
an infantry brigade of 3,000. I therefore most respectfully ask that 
I be commissioned or appointed brigadier general of cavalry and 
assigned to duty in this department; that Major Chenoweth and 
Captain Cunningham be commissioned or appointed as colonel and 

lieutenant-colonel of the Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, my 

brigade, and Captain L. A. Sypert and Lieutenant R. B. Soery be 

commissioned or appointed colonel and lieutenant-colonel of the 

Kentucky Regiment of my brigade ; also that some efficient Kentucky 
brigadier of infantry be sent into this department to take charge of 
the infantry brigade that I am conscripting. Should the depart- 
ment feel at a loss whom to send, I can recommend Captain 
Cunningham as a most reliable, efficient and energetic officer, well 
calculated to organibze, control and command said brigade. 

" It is necessary to remind you that this is the golden moment 
for securing an army from Kentucky, and every day's delay is 
absolutely dangerous. For my capacity to command this department, 
I can only say that in '62 I recruited and brought into service 
twenty-two companies from southern Kentucky; since which time 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 171 

I have commanded a brigade under General Morgan. But should 
you not feel disposed to have me promoted or accept of my recom- 
mendation of Captain Cunningham, I ask that others be selected 
and forwarded at once. 1 also desire to call your attention to the 
attempted correspondence between General Burbridge and myself, 
and urge that he be at once notified of my action having the sanction 
and approval of my government. 1 also forward with this my 
orders to go into Kentucky. The muster rolls of the regiments 
will be forwarded so soon as completed. With the hope that this 
brief report may prove satisfactory, and that my requests may meet 
the sanction and approbation of my government, I remain, with 
very much respect, Your obedient servant, 

"A. R. JOHNSON, Colonel.^' 

^(Indorsement.) 

"Adjutant and hispector General's Office, 

''Sept. 6, 1864. 
"Colonel Palfrey: 

" The Secretary of War directs that Colonel A. R. Johnson be 
appointed brigadier general to rank from 1st June last; under the 
act authorizing appointments to recruit within the enemy's lines, 
appointments to continue for three months from present date. Also 
appointments under same act, and for same period, for J. Q. 
Chenoweth and L. A. Sypert as colonels of cavalry; and S. P. 
Cunningham and R. B. Soery as lieutenant colonels of cavalry. 

" SAML. W. MELTON, 
" Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant General." 

This report was made under extremely difficult circumstances. 
We were virtually in the midst of the enemy's country, surrounded 
on all sides, and several hundred miles from the Confederate lines. 
The whole distance that would have to be traversed by any one 
carrying this report was occupied by strong detachments of the 
Federal army; several navigable streams would have to be crossed 
that were strongly picketed by gunboats. Consequently the bearer 
of these papers was liable to be captured. Under these conditions 
I had to word this report in such a manner that if the enemy should 
obtain them the papers would not expose the real object of our 
expedition into Kentucky. All the facts that were stated in this 



172 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

report the Federals already knew. The papers all over the country, 
especially the Louisville Journal, were urging the Federal government 
to send a force sufficient to drive us out of the country at once, or it 
would soon be beyond their power to do so. Knowing this, I 
did not hesitate to give the facts and figures as they were, but 
concealing all ideas of any movements of large forces to my 
assistance or any hope of support from the north side of the Ohio 
river. And this was the first time that any of my officers obtained 
any insight into my secret orders. Colonel Cunningham was 
therefore entrusted with the fact that the Sons of Liberty would 
furnish us with fifteen thousand stands of arms and ten thousand 
men armed and equipped as soon as we had sufficient force in Ken- 
tucky to assure them that we would be able to hold the State, and 
that if Forrest and his cavalry were moved to my support the- 
Sons of Liberty would join- us at once, and if this could be done by 
the fifteenth of August that there would be a grand effort made to 
free the Confederate prisoners that were held in Indiana and Illinois, 
and with these trained and tried veteran soldiers maddened by their 
cruel treatment while in prison, we would be able not only to drive 
any Federal force out of Kentucky that could be brought against 
us, but be able to capture Louisville and Cincinnati, which would 
necessarily compel Grant to withdraw his forces from Virginia and 
perhaps induce the Federal government to cease the war and 
acknowledge the Confederacy. The orders that I returned with 
these papers were given me when I left Richmond and were so 
worded that they would give no clue to our real design. As all 
these facts were well known to both Mr. Davis and General Cooper 
I knew that no explanation would be necessary, and the fact that 
my commission was dated back to the day that I left Richmond and 
that every request that I made was granted without hesitation, is 
conclusive evidence that they fully comprehended my report and 
remembered all the arrangements that were made with me before 
I left Virginia. 

My success in recruiting was phenomenal. In the palmiest days 
of the Confederacy no man ever received recruits more rapidly. 
I had brought with me soldiers from many counties in Kentucky, 
and sent them to their respective counties to collect men and to 
picket all the important roads, thus giving the appearance of my 
having a large force in the State. Soon I had four regiments in 



FHE FORLORN HOPE. 173 

the process of formation, forty men having been commissioned, 
each to raise a company. 

Colonel J. Q. Chenoweth was to be colonel of the First Regi- 
ment, Captain S. P. Cunningham, lieutenant colonel; Captain 
Napier, colonel of the Second Regiment, Captain Shanks, lieutenant- 
colonel; Captain Lee Sypert, colonel of the Third Regiment, Soery, 
lieutenant-colonel; Wm. Mollis, colonel of the Fourth Regiment. 

About this time I received a communication from the Sons of 
Liberty in Indiana, through Captain McLean, who commanded a 
steamboat running from Henderson. They proposed to furnish 
to the Confederacy ten thousand men and fifteen thousand stands 
of arms from Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. The guns were to be sent 
up Green river on steamboats, and I was to use the steamboats to 
transport my men across the Ohio. It was expected we would 
co-operate with the organized forces who were prepared to free 
the Confederate prisoners at Camp Morton and at Camp Douglas. 

So far everything seemed to be working exactly as had been 
planned. Colonel Cunningham was sent back immediately to 
Richmond with my report, as I have said, to transmit dispatches to 
Forrest that it was time for him to come up with his command, and 
also to General Joseph E. Johnston. 

The time was appointed for the delivery of the arms and the 
concentration of the ten thousand men at Newburg, Indiana, and 
it was believed that the contemplated freeing of the prisoners would 
be promptly made. We intended to capture Evansville and the 
necessary railroads so as to co-operate effectually with forces in 
Indianapolis and Chicago. But our plans were frustrated by counter- 
moves of the Federals against Forrest and Johnston, and by the 
divulging of our schemes through spies in Indiana and Illinois, and 
lastly by the movement of General Hobson against my men with 
an overwhelming force. His rapid and unexpected movement com- 
pelled me to move on toward the Cumberland river, and as it 
was the intention to draw the Federal force after me I moved my 
main body under Colonels Chenoweth and Napier in the direction 
of Canton, on the Cumberland, and sent runners to each of my 
stations to concentrate their men and be prepared to harass Hobson's 
rear. On the evening of the twentieth of August I learned that 
a force of Federals about three or four hundred strong were occupy- 
ing what was known as Grubb's Crossroads. I made my arrange- 
ments to capture them. Dividing my force into three parties, I 



174 THE PART I S AN RANGERS. 

sent Colonel Napier to the rear, and moving at the head of Colonel 
Chenoweth's regiment, I charged their camp just at dawn. The 
Federals running toward a thicket, I dashed in front of forty or 
fifty and called to them to surrender, which they did. I ordered 
them to face about and move toward the command which was now 
coming up on the opposite side; these seeing Federals with guns 
in their hands, opened fire on them; one of the balls struck me in 
the right eye, and coming out at the left temple, cut out both eyes. 
As soon as my misfortune was discovered, great confusion ensued, 
and when I ordered my horse to be led to the rear, a portion of 
the prisoners taking advantage of the confusion, escaped to their 
companions in the thicket. Learning " that I had been shot, the 
Federals made arrangements to fight. Captain Shanks coming up 
with a small body of men, was wounded, together with several of 
his men, and fell into their hands. All of this happened at daybreak, 
and there was a very heavy fog making everything quite indistinct. 

Some very daring feats were performed on this occasion. Captain 
Paul Marrs, quartermaster, having sent his horse across the river 
the evening before, undertook to swim the river with his clothes 
on, the Federals firing on him, and finding that he was about to 
sink, he turned back, and getting behind a big rock near the water, 
stripped off his clothes, tying his money in his shirt, put his 
clothes on his head, and again dashed into the river, succeeding 
this time in getting across, although under a heavy fire of the enemy. 
To his chagrin he found that his horse had been carried off, but 
being a man of wonderful resources and courage he slipped on his 
underclothes and at once went to work to find a way out of the di- 
lemma. Hunting through the brush, he found a loose mule with 
a rope on. Catching the animal and improvising a halter out of 
the rope, he mounted and soon overtook the little party that had 
crossed the river the evening before. Recovering his horse and pro- 
curing a suit of clothes, he and Captain T. J. Johnson, the com- 
missary, persuaded the party to return and help Colonel Cheno- 
weth to cross the river. This was accomplished in good style 
by constructing rafts. I consider it one of the most daring feats of 
the expedition. 

Colonel Chenoweth had sent a part of his men across a bridge, 
and going that way to join them, ran into the Federals and was 
captured. They were marching with him along the river bank when 
Johnson and Marrs, who had returned to the opposite shore with a 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 175 

portion of Napier's regiment, opened fire across the river, and the 
gallant Colonel, taking advantage of the confusion caused by the 
fire, dashed his horse into the river and made his escape without 
further damage, although the water foamed with Federal bullets. 
He gave Napier's men credit for his rescue. They afterwards suc- 
ceeded in getting the remainder of the men across the river. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE RANGERS LAST CAMPAIGN. 



The story of the events in southwestern Kentucky after I lost 
my eyes and until the war ended is told in this chapter by Colonel 
James Q. Chenoweth: 

In the summer of 1864, while General Johnston's "Army of the 
Tennessee " was resting upon its arms at Marietta, Georgia, I re- 
ceived orders to go to Kentucky and organize and take command 
of a regiment of recruits, which, in broken commands, were scattered 
through the western portion of that State and desirous of joining 
the army of the South. 

Learning from General Wheeler that General Adam R. Johnson, 
with orders from the War Department, was at that time preparing 
to march into Kentucky with about fifty of his old officers, and 
that he was ordered to take command there and organize a depart- 
men on the Ohio river and execute a certain important mission 
with which he was specially charged, I reported to him near Atlanta, 
Georgia, having with me Lieutenant John Spalding, who had been 
specially detailed to accompany me. 

General Adam Johnson's command took up its march and pro- 
ceeded immediately to the field of operations in Kentucky. We met 
with no special incident en route before crossing the Cumberland 
river, except that in northern Alabama, not far from the Tennessee 
river we came near running into Rousseau's cavalry, which was just 
entering Alabama, bent upon a desperate and destructive raid 
through the State. Our advance vidette, however, being under 
cover, was not observed by the raiders. Returning to Johnson's 

176 




COLONEL JAMES Q. CHENOWETH. 



\ 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 177 

column, he reported what he had observed. General Johnson 
ordered me to go to the front and make reconnoissance. Taking 
■\vith me Lieutenant-Colonel Napier, Captain Quinn and Lieutenant 
Spalding, I stealthily approached tiie road over which Rousseau's 
command was moving. To secure a proper place for observation 
we were, compelled to cross a branch swollen by recent rains and 
which luckily proved to be, in our hasty retreat, our salvation. 
Noiselessly nearing the road, we concealed ourselves in the thicket 
not twenty feet from the clattering column, as it dragged along 
stretched out with artillery and wagon train, miles in length. We 
crouched in our hiding place for quite an hour and until we believed 
the whole of the Yankee raiders had passed — rear guard and all. 
In this we were deceived. Just as we had risen upon our feet and 
were about to beat a retreat, we heard voices on the road and two 
officers appeared in sight, riding leisurely abreast. Realizing that 
we were discovered, we fired upon the horsemen, and in all haste 
broke for the rear. Before we reached the swollen branch we 
heard the sound of the enemy's bugle, and, deploying through the 
woods the enemy's rear guard, for such it was, came in a sweeping 
gallop almost upon us. The high banks of the creek were all that 
saved us, and I think the leap 1 made across from bank to bank 
would have done full justice to almost any modern university 
athlete. Rejoining General Johnson's little command, we re-mounted 
our horses and the general, appreciating the situation, stood not 
upon the order of putting as great a distance, and as rapidly as 
possible, between himself and the enemy. We hastened on to 
the Cumberland river, crossing that stream by swimming our horses 
in the manner understood and practiced by most Kentucky scouts. 
A Kentucky newspaper, falling into my hands a few days after 
arriving in the State, discovered to our party that two U. S. 
commissaries riding in the rear of Riousseau's raiders had been " bush- 
whacked" and killed in North Alabama. The incident was as 
described. 

General Johnson arrived in Morganfield, Kentucky, on the 

day of 1864. We were rece'Ived by the people with 

every demonstration of enthusiasm, and the brave sons of Kentucky 
hastened by the hundreds to join our standard. Captain Anderson's 
company of cavalry, recruited in that neighborhood, had been organ- 
ized and was all ready for service. By special order the company 
reported to me and constituted Company " A " of my regiment. 



\ 



178 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Colonel Sypert with several organized companies was in that 
neighborhood, and in a very few days reported to General Johnson. 
Through western Kentucky General Johnson was well known and 
admired, having early in the war recruited there his 'first regiment 
and won for himself and command a great reputation for brilliant 
and romantic achievements. The people were unanimously and 
enthusiastically Confederate in their sympathies, and our stay in their 
midst, as 1 dream of it and remember it now, was a spring-time 
picnic amidst all my varied war experiences. We not only carried 
about with us the blessings of all the people of that section, but 
particularly did we enjoy the smiles and enthusiastic cheers of those 
supremely brave and beautiful women who supplied us with all 
necessary information and made useless our commissary. My mouth 
fairly twitches to this day with the delightful recollections of the 
sweet and luscious dainties with which our camps were laden during 
the campaign. 

General Johnson's book describes all the details of the campaign. 
1 will only say that about the middle of July our muster roll 
contained more than one thousand seven hundred men. With these 
rolls, under special order from the General, Captain S. P. Cunning- 
liam, afterwards lieutenant-colonel of my regiment, proceeded to 
Richmond to confer with the Confederate War Department. Before 
Colonel Cunningham had returned to the command in August with 
commissions and special orders from the President and the Military 
authorities at Richmond a terrible deathly blow had fallen upon 
our command. 

General Johnson, learning that a Federal regiment was camped 
at Grubbs' Crossroads near Cerulean Springs, determined forth- 
with to give them battle, and, by defeating and capturing them, 
secure arms and necessary supplies for his recruits. Marching 
nearly all night we reached the neighborhood of the enemy's camp 
just before daylight. Without many preliminaries Colonel Napier 
was directed to take all the men who had arms, pass around to the 
rear and fire upon the camp. 1 was directed, after the first volley 
fired, at the head of the unarmed horsemen, to charge. These 
orders were faithfully executed, but the charge I led, was, of course, 
" all sound and fury signifying nothing " except the fright it was 
expected to occasion. To my great amazement and surprise when 
I had reached the camp the enemy were crowding across the main 
road opposite, firing as they retreated. My horse was killed and 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 179 

while I was securing another of the number that were galloping 
about the woods, an officer of the staff rode up to me and informed 
me that General Johnson was fatally shot. I was dumfounded 
and heart-broken. I was not so greatly upset by the confusion 
and demoralization around me, but the information that our 
leader had fallen quite extinguished the sun of every hope 1 
had entertained. After stripping my good charger of his harness 
and saddling the steed I had captured I rode with the officer to 
that part of the field where I found the wounded chieftain. The 
officers of his immediate staff had placed him in an ambulance 
where I found him as cool, dispassionate and self-possessed as he 
was on the starless night before, when he gave me his orders for 
the charge. I sat down beside him, myself speechless with distress 
at the unutterable calamity which had befallen us. But the wounded 
general, with a bullet hole through his temples, blind and suffering, 
lay calm and apparently unconcerned except for the fate of his 
little army. He quietly bade me assume command and as rapidly 
as possible make my way across the Cumberland and Tennessee 
rivers. On our way to the Cumberland river over the Cadiz pike 
we left the general at the residence of Colonel Fenton Simms, a 
noble, generous Kentucky gentleman. When we next heard of 
the general his wounds had healed, but he was blind and in a 
Federal prison. 

An incident occurred at Grubbs' Crossroads which tO' this day 
excites my wonder and doubtless will be accepted with incredulity. 
As I was transferring my cavalry appointments from my wounded 
horse to the back of another, I saw one of my captains lying 
by the roadside, as I believed, shot to death. I had no time to 
emphasize my deep emotion or place the body in a more secluded 
and less exposed position, but as I passed by, my hands and arms 
being occupied with my cavalry saddle and trappings, I turned the 
body quite over with my foot and gazed for a moment in the pale 
face of the stark and breathless form of my dead soldier friend. About 
five weeks afterwards, as 1 was seated in front of my headquarters 
in the suburbs of Paris, Tennessee, on a beautiful moonlight night 
that I will always remember, I saw coming up the path what I 
could not for a moment doubt was the incarnated spirit of the 
late Captain John Shanks, who had fallen in the battle of Grubbs' 
Crossroads. But the captain, although he had received a gunshot 
wound through the liver and kidneys, was before me alive in the 



\ 



180 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

flesh. He had been rescued from the battlefield by good Samaritans, 
and nursed to life by that noble mother of the Confederacy, Mrs. 
Dr. Nicic Gaither, of Cerulean Springs. Captain Shanks after a 
short respite took command of his company, commanded it through 
the following desperate winter campaign in Kentucky and survived 
it all to become, after the war, a most useful citizen of his State 
and father of a noble family. 

I can not recall the terrible incidents of Grubbs' Crossroads 
without especially remembering that it was here I lost my faithful, 
able and chivalrous adjutant. Waller O. Bullock. I believed him 
to have been killed until after I had arrived in Paris, Tennessee. 
There I ascertained that he had been wounded and captured. He 
was at this time in Paducah in the blood-red hands of the brutal 
General Payne, of vile memory. The information came to me 
that he was confined in a dungeon and doomed to be shot. A 
lady of Paris, of strong Union sympathies, having expressed a 
desire to visit Paducah, I agreed to pass her through my lines if 
she would bear to General Payne a letter from my hand. To 
this she readily consented. I first sent the lady under the guard 
of a staff officer to a building in Paris, where I had confined 
several Federal prisoners whom we had captured, en route ta 
Paris, on the Tennessee river. I gave the lady the opportunity of 
communicating with these Federal prisoners and then trusted to 
her the letter to be delivered to Payne. In the letter I informed 
that brutal commander that I held these soldiers of the Union army 
as hostages for the personal safety of Adjutant Bullock and that 
if he was brought to harm in any way and treated otherwise than 
as an honorable prisoner of war I would cause them to be shot 
to death in retaliation. This letter was delivered, and the lady oii 
her return informed me that shortly after Payne received it Adjutant 
Bullock made his escape. The truth is that Bullock's noble old 
grandmother from Lexington, Kentucky, made a pilgrimage ta 
Paducah, upon learning that her brave boy was held there as a 
prisoner, and succeeded in purchasing his liberty from Payne himself 
with gold. Just before our winter raid into Kentucky, at the instance 
and earnest request of two old Kentucky people from near Midway, 
situated between Paris and Paducah, I released a young boy who 
had enlisted in one of my companies. They were his grandparents 
and had freely given up their older children to the defense of the 
South, and, pleading for their Benjamin, begged for his return. I 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 181 

have forgotten the names, but the residents of the locality who are 
still living will remember the cruel incident. The old people were 
returning with their boy to their desolate home near Midway, and 
fearing trouble from Yankee scouting parties, hid the boy under a 
quilt in their wagon. This miserable brute, General Payne, on 
his return from Midway to Paducah, met the old people on the 
road, the boy was discovered, dragged out from his hiding-place 
and cruelly and in cold blood shot to death. Oh, if 
I could have captured the old scoundrel, Payne, I am sure I would 
have greatly enjoyed swinging him to a limb! Just prior to the 
time of my surrender I met General Meredith under *' flag of 
truce" at Paducah. He had succeeded Payne in his command. 
1 was informed by that grand old Federal general, he of the Iron 
Brigade, that I would have been morally justified in executing my 
threats; that Payne was an outlaw and should have been hung. 
His foul memory is a blot on the pages of American history. 

From Grubbs' Crossroads I marched the command by the Cadiz 
turnpike to Canton on the Cumberland river. Gathering such 
plank skiflfs as could be found on the river, we proceeded imme- 
diately to cross over, the men seated in the frail boats and leading 
their horses swimming alongside. I did not doubt but that with 
the dawn of the morning 1 would be attacked by the enemy. As 
the last loaded boats were shoving from the shore I started to 
relieve the pickets who were under the command of the sturdy brave 
officer. Lieutenant Spalding. Before I could communicate with 
him I heard the blast of the enemy's bugles and the clatter of their 
charging horses. Putting spurs to my own steed, I sought to 
reach the bridge over Little river that, at this point, empties into 
the Cumberland. At the far end of the bridge I was halted by 
the Yankee guard who had just reached that point, and taken pris- 
oner. The Federal picket-guard were dismounted and I yielded to 
them without resistance. The ofllcer, whom I presumed to be a 
sergeant exercising command, seized one of my bridle-reins and 
one of his soldiers seized hold of the other. Strangely enough, I 
was disarmed but not dismounted. As the guard led my horse 
oflf the bridge, and along the road skirting the swollen river, I 
noticed that the banks from recent rains had broken away into 
the road. Coming to one of these narrow places in the road the 
soldier, holding the rein on the right of the horse, turned it loose 
and hied himself to the oflf side ; without previous thought, but 



\ 

I 



1S2 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

inspired I suppose by immediate conditions and the little confusion 
which was occasioned, I dug my spurs into the sides of the 
spirited mare I was riding and we plunged into the riven Colonel 
Napier's men, who had crossed the river during the night and were 
posted on the banks immediately opposite and evidently on the 
lookout, almost instantly opened fire on the Yankee guardians, 
who broke hurriedly for cover. I succeeded in getting across the 
river, the Yankees from the trees beyond the road not being able 
to fire upon me until I was nearly on the other side on account 
of the height of the river banks at that point. 

Having thus passed over the Cumberland we proceeded through 
the Coalings to Paris, landing on the Tennessee where we crossed 
about the first of September, and proceeded to the neighborhood 
of the city of Paris. 

I was myself in a desperate condition, suffering mostly from 
nervous prostration. I directed my surgeon, Dr. Netherton, a very 
young man just out of the medical schools, to invite into con- 
sultation with himself the best medical assistance in Paris. After 
inquiry the doctor informed me that one Dr. Mathewson was re- 
garded as the leading physician in the city but v/as a " very 
strong Union man." I bade my surgeon not to regard Dr. 
Mathewson's political sentiments, if he possessed the confidence of 
his neighbors as a man of integrity. Dr. Mathewson visited me, 
and after a careful examination had me transferred to his own 
house. With his good wife and beautiful daughter aiding him, he 
nursed me back to health, perhaps saved my life. His family, 
those who have survived him, will remember that this noble conduct 
of the brave and generous old doctor was not unrequited. 
However we may have differed with reference to our duty to our 
country, I beg leave to testify that no nobler or more generous 
gentleman ever passed the threshold of a sick chamber than this 
grand old Scotchman. He might well have sat for the picture of 
Barrie's hero doctor in " Under the Bonnie Briar Bush." It was 
in camp near Paris that Lieutenant Colonel Cunningham reported 
on returning from his official journey to Richmond. He had with 
him my commission and orders from the Confederate War Depart- 
ment. Just prior to his departure from Richmond the authorities 
there received intelligence of the desperate wounding of General 
Adam R. Johnson and the Secretary of War, upon consideration 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 183 

designated General H. B. Lyon, then with General Forrest, as the 
commander of the department of western Kentucky. 

Lieutenant Colonel Cunningham informed me that General Lyon 
with his staff and escort would reach Paris about the 1st of 
October. I received further information that the general would 
first make a reconnoissance into Kentucky and that he would be 
at a certain date in the neighborhood of Eddyville, Kentucky. My 
health was now reasonably good; youth, a sound body and Con- 
federate enthusiasm being a great health restorer. I had long 
known General Lyon and had previously served under him and 
for him personally entertained a great admiration. He was under 
all circumstances as cool and self-contained as Adam Johnson and 
considered by army men in the Confederacy amongst the bravest 
of the brave. 

1 determined to organize a scouting party and meet General 
Lyon in Kentucky. I selected one hundred brave and well armed 
and mounted men and proceeded across the river. While crossing 
the Tennessee river at Paris, I was joined by one Captain Phillips 
with about thirty men, all of whom I was assured were soldiers 
of the Confederate army and had made their escape from prison. 
They were seasoned, stalwart men of dare-devil appearance and I 
readily accepted their proffered services. I continued on in the 
direction of the Cumberland river and down that stream in the 
direction of old Fort Donelson. When within a few miles of the 
fort my advance vidette reported the road filled with negro soldiers 
proving to be a regiment returning to the fort after a foraging 
foray. 1 made my dispositions immediately for an attack. 

The enemy being negro infantry, I disregarded their numbers. 
Riding rapidly to the front I could see from an elevated position 
the moving column and many loaded wagons. About a mile off 
on the Fort Donelson road I saw a farm house, and what I after- 
wards understood to be tobacco barns. I ordered Phillips with 
his men to dash rapidly around and secure the buildings. They 
were situated immediately on and commanding the road over 
fvhich the enemy were marching. Throwing my command into 
column by fours and giving Phillips all reasonable time to reach and 
seize the buildings, I ordered the charge. There was not a laggard 
in my little column and with enthusiastic shouts we bore down 
upon the rear of the enemy who, in dismay and fright broke into 
disorder and crowded the road in their efforts to escape. We drove 



184 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

them aboat a mile strewing the road with their dead until the 
advance squadron had reached the farm house and barns, when, 
to my amazement a deadly fire was poured out from these buildings 
upon us. The advance companies of the Federal negro regiment, 
in the meantime, being rallied and formed upon the opposite side 
of the road from these buildings, were now blazing away upon 
us with deadly execution. I was compelled to withdraw my 
command, not, however, until the lieutenant-colonel of Sypert's 
regiment. Captain Gist and eight other brave cavalrymen had 
been killed. I believe there were twelve other men wounded. 1 
was enabled to remount those who had lost their horses from 
the many wagon teams I captured. The wagons were burned. 
The sudden change in our fortunes was brought about by the 
man Phillips, whom I trusted with his command to capture and 
hold the buildings on the Fort Donelson road. After the fight I 
found this man Phillips lurking in the rear and ordered him to 
report to General Lyon in Paris under arrest. His excuse was 
that he was prevented from reaching the objective point to which 
he was ordered, where he could seize and hold the buildings in 
the main road, by a large ravine that he could not cross. If he 
and his men had been soldiers, they would have reached and held 
the buildings which were so absolutely necessary to the consum- 
mation of our victory. Phillips and his men proved to be only 
perfect types of the element which infested the country at that 
time between the opposing armies and from which they had 
slouched and afterwards organized for plunder. We ever after- 
wards regarded them as enemies, outside the pale of all military 
consideration. After burning the captured wagon-train, we con- 
tinued down the river to a point near Eddyville, on the Cum- 
berland, and soon were in communication with General Lyon, to 
whom I reported. 

Having enjoyed the rest and luxury of camp life for one day, 
we were ordered by the General, who had accomplished his mission 
in Kentucky, to join him at a certain crossing on the Cumberland 
river, from which point we were ordered to return to our command 
near Paris, Tennessee. During the scout to Kentucky, Colonel 
Malone reported to me with his regiment and Major Housely with 
his battalion, both of which commands had been recruited for' 
General Adam Johnson's department. I brought them safely with 
me across the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers into the camp, of 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 185 

which General Lyon continued me in command until the reorgan- 
ization of all the forces into two brigades preparatory to a con- 
templated raid into Kentucky. Immediately after General Lyon 
arrived in Paris and assumed command of the department of 
western Kentucky, he proceeded on an official visit to the head- 
quarters of General Forrest then somewhere in North Mississippi. 
His purpose was to arrange plans for a movement which would 
co-operate with those of General Hood, who had already taken up 
his march for the Tennessee campaign, which embraced the bloody 
and unnecessary battle of Franklin and the disastrous siege of 
Nashville and gathered the clouds which foreran the fall of the 
Confederacy. 

General Lyon returned to the headquarters of the department 
about the 20th of November, bringing with him, besides other 
troops, a battery of light artillery composed of two guns. A 
number of Confederates who had escaped from Northern 
prisons had made their way to our camp at Paris, and these all 
reported to General Lyon for temporary duty. 

General Lyon having assigned me to the command of the 
brigade composed almost entirely of Adam Johnson's Kentucky 
recruits, I proceeded to organize the same and appoint my staff 
mostly from escaped officers who were with us whom I had well 
known in the early days of the war. 1 was most fortunate in 
securing the official services of Captains D. W. Thornton and 
Frank Chinn of the Sixth Kentucky Cavalry as assistant adjutant 
general and aid-de-camp, and if I had had the rank and file of 
the Confederate army to select from I could not possibly have 
secured for the purpose in hand two more efficient or more 
chivalrous young gentlemen. Captain Jeff. Rodgers, who reported 
to me as a volunteer aid, had served by my side for three years 
in the First Kentucky Cavalry. He won his spurs and advance- 
ment from service in the ranks to company commander and was 
of that sort of stuff out of which the true soldier is made. No 
braver or better officer served the cause of the South. Captain 
Steedman, my inspector, had joined me early in the Adam John- 
son occupation of western Kentucky and was with me constantly 
and faithfully until just after the brigade's organization. I sent 
him on a secret mission to Kentucky, and at Morganfield he was 
captured and brutally shot to death. He was an accomplished 
gentleman and offcer, and I mourned the loss of his capable 



186 . THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

services and his comradeship as a soldier and faithful friend. My 
surgeon was Dr. Netherton, of whom I have previously written. 
He remained by my side faithfully, through every struggle and 
hardship until the sad end of all. He was my guardian and pro- 
tector, and if not my guide, was " my philosopher and friend." 
My quartermaster and commissary were appointed by the general 
commanding but their services were hardly in requisition, for in 
such campaigns as that we contemplated, every soldier becomes his 
own quartermaster and commissary. Will I be pardoned, or 
rather could I be forgiven if I failed to mention in this connection 
my faithful body servant. Box? The other negro servants were 
proud to call him "Major." He was ugly as original sin and 
wonderfully formed; he possessed a hunchback and legs of enor- 
mous length, he could ride a zebra, was not afraid of Satan, and 
could bum rations for his hungry master on a desert plain. 

I was ordered about the 21st of November to proceed with my 
brigade in advance of the main column to the Tennessee river, and 
to gather boats to be used in crossing that stream. 

An incident occurred here which I beg to narrate. When the 
advance guard had reached the banks of the river a flag of truce 
was displayed from the other shore. Upon reaching the landing 
place myself, I ascertained that Phillips's guerrillas were desirous of 
communicating, with my command. My former experience with 
these outlaws had excited my hostility, and General Lyon had 
issued an order that these men were not to be received within 
our lines. During General Lyon's trip to General Forrest's 
headquarters one of these men had been caught within our camps; 
he was denounced and I caused him forthwith to be drum-headed 
and shot. While Phillips was being informed that he and his men 
were under a Confederate ban and that I would hold no con- 
ference with them, I noticed that a man was advancing rapidly 
steering a canoe to the shore where 1 was standing. 1 ordered 
him at the risk of his life not to land. He disregarded my warning 
and came boldly on. As he approached I ordered a file of 
soldiers to take position, and, at my order, be ready to fire. I 
was amazed at the boldness of this man who so defied my 
threats. He spoke not a word and his only protest was to steer 
steadily and boldly for the shore. He presented a most picturesque 
appearance, and as he came nearer to view, I noticed he was 
stalwart and handsome, and only a boy in years. I bade the 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 187 

guard to ground their carbines. It was not in my heart to fire 
upon this young man, possessed of such splendid courage, without 
first giving ear to his message. He landed, looked me squarely 
in the face and at once declared '' 1 am not a guerrilla, I am a 
Southern soldier." It was thus I met Bob Gillaspie. He was a 
lieutenant in Wheeler's escort company. He had been captured at 
Farming-ton during Wheeler's raid through Tennessee, and had 
made his escape from prison. On his way South he had " come 
up " with Phillips's men, whom he soon measured for what they 
were worth and '' shook them " when an opportunity offered. 
Lieutenant Gillaspie was assigned to duty and remained near me, 
bravely and faithfully, to the end. Having executed orders with 
reference to crossing the Tennessee river as soon as General Lyon 
arrived, we expected comparatively easy passage and the column 
pressed on to the Cumberland near Dover. Early next morning 
the advance guard were fortunate in capturing two Federal trans- 
ports on their way to Fort Donelson, which, having served the 
purpose of ferry boats were burned to the water's edge. In a 
very few hours Lyon's entire division was in line for the winter's 
raid in Kentucky. By forced marches and through a driving 
snow storm we reached Hopkinsville. Here General Lyon con- 
cluded to rest until he could receive definite information concerning 
Hood's army of the Tennessee, which had fought the disastrous 
but glorious battle at Franklin on the 30th day of November, 
and was now investing the city of Nashville. At Hopkinsville 
a large number of furloughs^ was granted, and, after a day's rest, 
the general with Turner's brigade and one gun of the battery, 
left upon a reconnoissance, designating to me the places to which 
couriers could be dispatched from time to time. There was no 
enemy of which we could hear nearer than Russellville, where 
Johnson's negro brigade was reported, but this gave us no concern. 
Johnson was held in great contempt. On the second night after 
the departure of Lyon the officers of my command were being 
entertained at the hotel by the '^ beauty and chivalry " of Hop- 
kinsville at a grand ball. The dancing and festivities had continued 
until the small hours of the morning, as it was in Belgium's 
capital the night before Waterloo, and " joy was unconfined." 
'•' But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell." Scouts 
reported to me that the enemy were approaching Hopkinsville in 
large numbers and were in the neighborhood of the lunatic asylum. 



188 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

I quietly left the scene of festivities and dispatched orders for " boots 
and saddles." Relying implicitly upon the careful soldiership of one 
Colonel Ross, a West Point graduate and former United States 
officer of experience, who had but recently reported to me by 
order of General Lyon, I sent him with a company to make 
careful reconnoissance, satisfied that the enemy, whoever they were, 
would not make attack until daylight. In due time Colonel Ross 
returned and reported that Johnson's negro cavalry were in force 
just beyond the asylum. It was still some time before daylight, 
intensely cold and very dark. I moved my column, less than 
four hundred (many had been furloughed) and one gun of the 
battery which had been left with me, out on the Russellville pike 
and took a good position, my command deployed across the pike 
road west and SKDuth of the asylum grounds. With the first 
streaks of the morning light I could see faintly the maneuvering of 
the enemy and catch some idea of the position they occupied. I 
had begun to believe that I had been deceived about the enemy 
with whom I was fronted and that it was not Johnson's negroes 
after all. To satisfy myself I ordered a flag of truce to the front 
with a certain polite request. When the staff officer bearing the 
same returned, I readily gleaned from his haste and bulging eyes 
that 1 was in the midst of a fix. My aid informed me that the flag 
was received by General who I understood was com- 
manding a brigade in McCook's cavalry division. Skirmishing had 
now commenced and the dismounted enemy were rapidly closing 
upon my front. On my left a large body of cavalry was passing 
to my rear. It looked as if my command would soon be 
surrounded and overwhelmed, possibly destroyed, certainly cap- 
tured. With me was a soldier guide who understood the topo- 
graphical surroundings. As best and as fast as I could, I dis- 
mantled my piece of artillery, mounted my men and with my 
guide by my side led the column to a creek some distance 
on my right. It had been swollen by recent rains and snow, 
was sheeted with thin ice and was not at all inviting. With my 
staff I leaped in and crossed, swimming some distance and breaking 
the ice. Only a few of the men forded readily, they mostly were 
huddling on the bank. This was only for a moment, however, 
for the Federal cavalry now put in their savage appearance and 
v^ere seen charging down upon them. It was a dilemma — sabre 
or water. Suffice it to say, most of my men reported on my 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 189 

"Side. The Yankees did not follow. I went up the creek to a 
ford where we crossed and returning down the creek directed our 
course by the asylum, where I halted long enough to interview 
Dr. Rodman, the noble and humane superintendent. I ascertained 
that two of my men had been killed and some ten or twelve 
wounded. All of these the doctor promised faithfully to look 
after, to bury the dead and see that proper attention was given 
to the wounded. Dr. Rodman informed me that the Federals 
claimed to have captured many prisoners. My reports showed 
twenty officers and men missing. 1 continued my march, passing 
around Hopkinsville within a mile of that city now occupied by 
the Federals. I calculated where I would find Lyon and about 
daylight rode into his camp. After a short " blow " for our horses, 
the general started in the direction of Green river, arriving at 
Ashbyburg late the next evening, resting in the meanwhile only 
long enough to wind and feed the horses. Green river, if not 
very wide, is deep, swift and forbidding at this point. We pro- 
cured what boats could be had, the citizens about here very 
generally sympathizing with us and aiding us to the extent of their 
ability. By daylight the command had all crossed over, including 
fhe remaining piece of artillery, except General Lyon and his staff 
and escort company and myself I was consulting the general 
at his headquarters at the little hotel before crossing, when a vidette 
.galloped up with the information that a flag of truce was ap- 
proaching. The turnpike here was level and perfectly straight, 
enabling us to see a great distance. We observed the flag flut- 
tering nearly a mile away. Lyon, with whom I rode, followed by 
liis staff and escort, rode out to meet it. It was in the hands 
of an old West Point officer with whom Lyon was well acquainted. 
They were cordial in their greetings and after the passage of 
compliments Lyon's unconditional surrender was demanded in the 
name of General McCook. " Go tell McCook " replied Lyon, 
■"' that he knows me well enough to know that I will not surrender 
without a fight." The flag of truce was not out of sight before 
General Lyon and the rest of us were crossing the river, and when 
■safely on the other side we heard the booming cannon shelling the, 
woods before the " final assault." The morning following we 
entered the town of Hartford, garrisoned by a battalion of Federal 
Iroops who, on our approach, took shelter in the court house. 
They were speedily surrounded, captured and paroled and the 



\ 

I 



190 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

court house burned. Just here I beg to remark that all the court 
houses burned by General Lyon on this raid through Kentucky 
were in every case used as Federal garrisons or prison-houses for 
our Southern friends. It was early in December that we passed 
through what was called " Devil's Gulch," in Grayson county, Ken- 
tucky. The surrounding hills had furnished a safe harbor for 
that murderous and thieving class known as '' bushwhackers." We 
had hardly passed under the shades of these unsavory hills before 
a vidette had been shot and murdered from behind a projecting 
rock.. It was necessary to send out on the flanks of the column 
dismounted scouts and our progress was very slow. In a short 
time one of the leaders of the gang infesting these hills was 
captured. He was put under guard and given a seat in the am- 
munition wagon. The wife of this miscreant coming out on the 
road, at her request, was given a seat by his side. The column 
halting for a while, one of the guards brought a live coal from a 
cabin by the roadside and proceeded to light his pipe for a smoke. 
The prisoner begged for the privilege of a smoke, and, when fire 
for that purpose was given him, he deliberately dropped it through 
the hole in the powder keg from which he had already extracted 
the wooden stopper. Wagon, mules and driver and the wife of 
the prisoner were instantly killed. One of the guards standing 
not far away was seriously injured. The prisoner himself was 
blown some ten or twelve feet and was still, alive when the guard 
Avho had noit been hurt by the explosion ran up to him and 
emptied his loaded gun into his head. Our column reached the 
Louisville and Nashville railroad at Nolin's bridge in Marion county, 
Kentucky, about the 20th of December. It was now some hours 
in the night. We had already set fire to the bridge and were tearing 
up the rails of the road, when a train of cars laden with Federal 
infantry plunged into the cut not far from the burning bridge. One 
shot from our remaining six pounder was sufficient to induce the 
Federal commander to display the white flag. We paroled the 
soldiers by the light of our camp fires, burned and destroyed the 
train, and by early morning took up our line of march for 
Columbia. General Lyon here learning of Hood's defeat on the 
I6th of December in front of Nashville, determined, the purpose 
of his raid having been accomplished as far as possible, to march 
his army back across the rivers by the most practicable route, to 
some point within the Southern lines. Resting at Columbia for a 



THE RAXGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 191 

few hours, we proceeded to Burksville on the Cumberland. The 
liver was high with w'mxtx rains and angry with floating ice. The 
enemy were, however, in such proximity that it was necessary to 
make immediate arrangements for crossing. As it was in 
Columbia so was it at Burksville and other county seats through 
which we were compelled to pass considered by General Lyon " a 
military necessity " to destroy the court house. These court 
houses were no longer needed by the citizens of Kentucky as 
houses of law and temples of justice, but as military barracks and 
stockades for Federal soldiers and prison-houses for unoffending 
Kentuckians who dared to entertain any sympathy for the Southern 
cause. The writer of this some years after the war, being a 
Kentucky legislator, was placed in rather an awkward but amusing 
position by being required to report from his committee in the 
State senate a bill to relieve Cumberland county of all State taxes for 
a period of ten years, in order to enable the county to rebuild their 
court house. 

It was necessary, considering the constant and incessant pressure 
from the rear, to keep our transportation outfit in as good order 
as possible and this necessitated frequent " horse swappings " en 
route, and occasionally it happened sadly enough, that no consid- 
eration but good will was returned to the owner for his property. 
Recently meeting a distinguished physician, who had in late years 
removed from Burksville to Texas, I was informed by him that 
he had been anxious to meet me for nearly forty years; that he 
desired to thank me for returning his horse, from which a soldier 
of my command had unceremoniously dismounted him. I ac- 
cepted the courteous doctor's thanks, but did not think proper to 
tell him that had I kno\\Ti him at the time to be a major surgeon 
in the Yankee army at home on furlough, he might have considered 
himself lucky to have gotten off himself. 

We succeeded in getting across the Cumberland and had almost 
finished the work of destroying our frail boats when the advance 
vidette of our friends, the enemy, hove in sight on the other shore. 
Waving them a fond farewell we took up our march by the most 
practicable route to the Tennessee river. We - were dela^^ed 
many hours at the swollen and angry little Obie, but succeeded in 
passing over, and hurried on. The line of march was by the 
way of TuUahoma and through the old camp grounds and by the 
dismantled fortifications of Bragg's army. I rested my command 



192 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

almost upon the identical spot I had occupied with the First Ken- 
tucky Cavalry during that great campaign. One of my " bread 
detail," as they were called, which, by the way, was our only 
means of supplying our commissariat, returning to camp, brought to 
me a handsome wolf-skin robe, which 1 had left at a farmhouse 
more than fifteen months previously. 

We reached the Tennessee river about the last of December in. 
a blizzard, which, it seems, would have been more at home on 
the bleak coasts of New England. A '' block house," one of those 
pestiferous interferences which had interrupted our peaceful progress 
throughout our extended raid, frowned upon us from an elevated 
point on the river bank and challenged our passage. To wipe 
this little nuisance from our path expeditiously, General Lyon was 
compelled to resort to the same means which all along proved so 
persuasive. One shot from the little six-pounder brought a 
surrender, but it brought something else, in the shape of an ugly 
gunboat which, before our crossing was completely eiTected, nearly 
consummated our ruin. Commencing with the shadows of night. 
General Lyon had crossed all of Turner's brigade, and, in sections, 
biis remaining gun. Of my brigade there had crossed over all but 
about one hundred men. General Lyon was himself safe on the 
Southern side, when the black smoke down the river and the 
warning puff of overstrained boilers told me only too plainly that 
I was cut off from the main command. I furthermore very sorely 
realized that the Federal prisoners from the block house, whom 
we had paroled, would carry information to the nearest post that 
would bring upon me " the dogs of war." This was near about 
midnight, and I rode away from the landing with my men and 
sought the wooded bottoms near the river. The next day 1 
induced a denizen of the neighborhood, an old resident, to bear a 
note to the general, which informed him where and at what hour 
of the following night I would make an effort to cross. At the 
appointed hour and place 1 plunged into the icy stream with m.y 
faithful one hundred. The gunboat, coming up, was engaged by 
General Lyon. I succeeded with eighty-three others in making a 
landing on the Southern side but in as woeful a condition as men 
ever found themselves. I landed on the " other " shore, dripping 
and famished. Dr. Netherton (who with the rest of my staff and 
couriers passed over the night before) met me on the banks and 
conducted me to my headquarters which had been provided in a small 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 193 

farmhouse near by. He stripped from off my bruised body my 
bedraggled and icy clothing; cut off my sodden boots, doctored 
my bruises, and, after giving me something +o satisfy my hunger, 
put me to bed, wrapped in one of the good oTd :farm wife's night 
dresses. It was not necessary to sing to me a lullaby, for I 
was asleep and dreaming of heavenly things before the putfmg folds 
of the old fashioned feather bed had clo^^ed about me. I was 
harshly awakened. I was only partially awake when I was dragged 
out of bed. 1 heard continuous firing over at what was afterwards 
explained as Lyon's headquarters, half a mile away. I was 
rapidly jammed into my clothing, belted with my side arms, and 
hurried, still half asleep, out of doors. My negro boy, the faithful 
Box, was holding my horse at the gate, and, as I mounted, a 
company of Federal cavalry galloped up and evidently taking me 
for one of their own number excitedly cried out " Where are they? " 
Just then some of my staff and couriers galloped out into the road, 
possibly twenty paces in advance. " There they go," I shouted, 
and the Yankees and myself took after them. Half a mile 
beyond this point was General Lyon's headquarters, and interme- 
diate was a county road crossing the main road and running up 
on quite a little mountain, which, as I remember, was known as 
"Snow Hill." At the forks of the roads there had been stationed 
a dismounted squad in position to bag General Lyon and myself, 
with our staff' and escorts, as we were driven from our respective 
headquarters into this cul de sac. It was too dark to distinguish 
friend from foe. I was now, however, wide awake and charging 
with the Yankee cavalry in the wake of my own flying friends. 
We all came together in an undistinguishable mass, while shouting, 
cursing and shooting swelled the din. I could recognize the fierce 
voice of Lieutenant Bob Gillaspie, and, finding myself near him, 
we rode together away from the scene on the Snow Hill road, 
not, however, until our pistols were emptied. ' Good luck rode with 
us, and we found ourselves not entirely alone when we had 
reached the plain which spread out on the little mountain. Dr. 
Netherton, badly winded, and others of my personal staff' had 
arrived. Most of my men who had slipped out of the clutches of 
the enemy were gathering here. It was quite daylight when 
General Lyon in a " Georgia cavalry uniform " of drawers and 
boots came in on foot with his terribly wounded staff officer. 
Major Rankin. Lyon and his staff and escort had been sur- 



194 THE PARTISAN R'ANGERS. 

rounded by the enemy at his hea/iquarters and most of them were 
taken prisoners. The gener^a and Rankin were occupying a bed 
together and were " tak^n in " asleep. Lyon was granted permission 
to put on his unifoim but his side arms were demanded. Taking 
down his belt rrom the bedpost and, as if in the act of handing 
it to one of the guards, he drew his pistol and fired. In th£ 
desperate struggle which ensued, Major Rankin was terribly wounded 
through the thigh and two of the guards were killed. Taking 
his wounded officer and friend in his arms the general leaped from 
the window and made his escape. We secured a horse for the 
general, but I do not remember how we succeeded in clothing 
his body — hardly, however, after any recognized military style. 

Gathering what he could of the remnants of his command, 
General Lyon now directed his march South on a course which 
would lead into the lines of Forrest's command, making his first 
objective point Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This beautiful Southern 
city was reached some time late in February. The bruised and 
battered relics of that splendid band of rangers who had bravely 
ridden out with Lyon from Paris, Tennessee, in November, and 
who had passed through the hardships of a long, fierce winter 
campaign inside the enemies' lines, realized indeed that they were 
home again. Most of the command were properly housed in hos- 
pitals. General Lyon and myself with our personal staffs were 
entertained at the hostelry presided over by that true 
Southern lady and typical Southern hostess, the late most admirable 
Mrs. Street. After a few days I took my only furlough, and later 
on joined General Lyon at Forrest's headquarters at Columbus, 
Mississippi. From here General Lyon directed that I should ac- 
company him back to Paris, Tennessee, and gather up the men 
who had doubtless returned to the old camp there. We were not 
dreaming that the death rattle was even then in the throat of the 
Confederacy. We arrived in Paris on the 6th day of April, and 
being entirely without information of the true status of the war, 
selected a few men and scouted in the direction of the Ohio river. 
At Humboldt, Tennessee, from a Memphis newspaper we read, 
sorrowfully read, of the surrender of General Lee. 

'' It's all over, Chenoweth," said the general, after a moment's 
reflection, " I shall go to Mexico and cast my fortunes with Max- 
imilian." I almost immediately bade my noble friend, the general, 



THE RANGERS' LAST CAMPAIGN. 195 

good-bye and returned to Paris. I found there in camp about 
three hundred men. 

I called together at my headquarters the oftlcers of the several 
squads and, without informing them of my intentions, directed 
that a detail be made of the best mounted, best armed and uni- 
formed men, and that they be in readiness to report to me on 
call. In a few days all my plans were completed. I had learned 
that Payne, the villainous old thief and assassin, had been superseded 
at Paducah by General Meredith and I determined to go to 
Meredith. Captain 3tfi. Rogers and Dr. Netherton were still with 
me. I required that every officer and man in the detail escort 
should be well mounted, his uniform and toilet be in first class 
order and his arms burnished. I provided myself with the linen 
for a flag and saw to it that a bugler was at command. By easy 
stages we arrived in the suburbs of the city on the morning of the 
I5th of April. Lieutenant Gee was riding well advanced, with the 
white flag streaming from his saber point. There were no advanced 
outposts, and camp sentinels were performing only perfunctory 
duties. So perfect was their faith that " the cruel war " was over, 
that they hardly concerned themselves enough with my advancing 
column as to demand " Who comes there ? " Without any bugle 
call for parley, we were soon in communication with the '' officer 
of the day," who immediately and politely agreed to send word to 
the general commanding. I was not detained unduly, when there 
came galloping out to meet us, in all the '' pomp and circumstance 
of glorious war," General Meredith himself, his numerous staff and 
escort. 

No son, not even the prodigal of Biblical renown, was ever 
received more graciously. " The war is over, my dear boy," 
happily spoke the handsome old Federal chief. '' Come with me 
to town and talk it over." 

My horses and men were ordered to be taken care of by the 
quartermaster. With several officers of my staff I was taken to 
the general's headquarters. Before the appearance of General 
Meredith I had learned from the soldiers on duty on the guard 
line that President Lincoln had been assassinated the night previous 
to my coming. Had I known of this I should have hesitated 
before entering Paducah. Every courtesy and kindness, however, 
was shown me by General Meredith and his staff', and amongst 
the number I was astonished and gratified to find Captain Clay 



\ 

I 



196 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Gooding, an old college chum. We were feasted r.ll day and 
given over without restraint to the noble and beautiful Confederate 
daughters of Paducah. During the day General Meredith had 
arranged for my surrender on most generous terms with General 
Thomas, department commander at Nashville, who was to send 
a command to Paris, where our paroles were to be executed ; 
a steamboat was also to be sent to Paris landing to carry the men 
to a certain landing in Kentucky on the Ohio river. 1 would have 
been base, indeed, had I failed properly to appreciate the mag- 
nanimous and soldierly generosity of General Solomon Meredith. 
He had been a great soldier in war; he was naturally great in 
heart and mind and body. General Meredith fearing an ambush 
from some of the excited negro troops camped about Paducah, 
if I returned without an escort, ordered out Colonel Hoskins's 
Tennessee regiment of cavalry and instructed them to accompany 
me for a stage on my return march. A few miles from the 
city, we went into a common camp. At a nearby farm house 
Colonel Hoskins and his adjutant and myself. Captain Rogers and 
Dr. Netherton, spent pleasantly the night. To complete the new 
order of things Colonel Hoskins and myself slept in the same bed 
— our side arms and belts hanging from opposite bed posts. 

The day after returning to Paris, Colonel Shephard, of the United 
States army, arrived with his regiment, and after arranging for 
the parole and transportation of the men, accompanied me and 
such officers as I selected to Nashville. Here I met with old 
college friends, soldiers wearing the blue uniform of the Federal 
army, who soon convinced me that they were my friends even 
though they had been my enemies. On all sides the " glad 
hand " was extended, and I thought that now the " bone " of par- 
ticular contention having been destroyed it would soon be made 
apparent to every patriotic eye that the war was indeed over. I 
was too mentally blind to see that I had only played a small part 
in the first act of a great drama. Terrible, cheerless and wasting 
years were to pass before the bell was to ring down the curtain 
upon the final scene of what was to be, and has been, the 
Nation's Tragedy. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



LATTER DAYS 



I resume my narrative: After being wounded and 
left at the hospitable home of Garland Simms, 
tenderly nursed by his noble wife and kind son, Richard, 
I was visited by Dr. Gaither and several of the physicians of the 
neighborhood, all of whom believed that I was mortally wounded. 
That night Colonel Sam Johnson surrounded the house with his 
regiment, but he was so exceedingly nervous that when one of his 
men accidentally discharged his gun he rushed oflf, carrying his 
men with him. General Hobson soon after arrived, and accom- 
panied by his staff came to my room. He treated me with the 
utmost consideration, leaving papers there to protect me from any 
intrusion from Federal soldiers. A day or so later, Mrs. John 
Green and her accomplished niece. Miss Bettie Nelson, came to 
see me, with the intention of conveying me to their home. Finding 
this impossible. Miss Bettie remained with the family to assist in 
nursing me. My brother William, who was living at Henderson, 
as soon as he heard of my misfortune, came through the country in 
search of me, and remained also. No one ever had better care 
or more excellent nursing. The whole neighborhood brought every- 
thing they thought would give me comfort or pleasure. Then my 
mother came and relieved Miss Bettie Nelson, whose sweet and 
gentle manners had won the hearts of all with whom she came in 
contact. Dick Simms had lain upon my bed night after night, 
bathing my wounds, and was as kind and as tender as a woman. The 
kind nursing I received tided me over, and, strange as it may 

197 



I 



198 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

seem, this was one of the most pleasant episodes in my life. I 
learned a lesson then that I shall never forget; that is, that human 
affection is the sweetest thing in life. As soon as I could be removed 
1 was conveyed to Eddyville, and thence by steamboat to Henderson. 
The Federal colonel who commanded the negro regiment, who 
occupied the town, becoming jealous of the respect and attention 
his negro soldiers showed me, demanded that I should be sent away; 
consequently, I was first sent to Louisville, and afterwards to prison 
at Fort Warren, Boston Harbor. I wish to record here that the 
Speed family, through their relative, James Speed, the attorney 
general, applied to Mr. Lincoln to have me released, but after can- 
vassing the matter with Governor Powell and Mr. Speed, Mr. 
Lincoln said he thought I was worth swapping, but required them 
to send me papers to sign in the form of a petition to the Confed- 
erate government to exchange some Federal officer for me. These 
L refused to accept, and remained in prison until the following Febru- 
ary. During this time I had the misfortune to fall into the basement 
of the prison and was seriously crippled. 

On being finally exchanged I was sent around by way of New 
York and Fortress Monroe and thence to Richmond, Virginia. At 
the exchange boat I was met by Governor Lubbock, of Texas, and 
taken by him to the Spotswood Hotel. 

At Fort Warren there were about four hundred Confederates 
confined; there were nine general officers in our barracks — Generals 
Trimble, of Maryland; Ed. Johnson, Cabell and Jones, of Virginia; 
Marmaduke, of Missouri; Henry Jackson, of Georgia; G. W. Gordon 
and Smith, of Tennessee. Smith was captured at Nashville and 
had been severely wounded, after he had surrendered, by a Federal 
colonel, who cut him over the head with his sword several times, 
and so injured his brain that he never recovered. My prison life 
was not altogether unpleasant. We had eleven ounces of bread 
and about the same amount of cold beef issued to us daily, with 
an abundance of pure, clear water. Provisions of all kinds were 
sent to us from our friends within the lines, and many of the 
citizens of Boston made efforts to supply us; but all these were 
refused and we were not allowed to receive anything except the 
rations issued, and one mess suffered severely from hunger until 
after my fall in prison, when the doctor authorized me to purchase 
vegetables, butter, eggs, etc., as a diet, which enabled us to live 
fairly well. All these officers were exceedingly kind to me, General 



LATTER DAYS. 199 

Gordon especially, rendering cheerfully every service necessary to 
health, comfort and cleanliness, which in my comparatively helpless 
condition I could not myself perform. 

After I arrived in Richmond and had been made comfortable at 
the Spotswood Hotel, Governor Lubbock went at once to the War 
Department and secured my retiring papers; he brought them for 
me to sign, but I refused to sign them and told him if he would get 
me orders to take command of my department again I would accept 
that. I believe the governor thought I had lost my mind. Soon 
after, President Davis and Colonel Johnson came to my room. The 
President seemed much affected by my condition, and, like 
Governor Lubbock, tried to persuade me to take my retiring papers, 
I thanked him for his courtesy, and begged him not to be dis- 
turbed; " my wounds were the fortune of war, and were honorable, 
since they befell in the service of my country and in fighting for 
all that I held dear and loved best; many had given their lives 
to the cause, and others had been worse maimed than I; all our 
people had made great sacrifices, and the dark shadow of war lay 
at every threshold ; let us not grieve, then, over individual affliction, 
nor repine: all will be well, if our cause triumphs." "Yes," he 
replied, "we live for our children; freedom for them will well 
be worth the price we pay for it;" and pressing my hand warmly, 
he bade me goodbye. Shortly after he left General Breckinridge 
came and insisted on my taking my retiring papers and going to 
rejoin my wife, who was then in Virginia. On my refusal to 
follow his advice he lost his temper and asked me if I thought any 
man would be damn fool enough to go with me. I told him that 
if he would give me my orders and the men refused to go with 
me I would be willing to quit. I received the necessary orders, 
with transportation for me and my men. 

Major Theophilus Steele, who had come around with me from 
Fortress Monroe, went with me to Fincastle, where my wife was, and 
we all started to north Mississippi, where my men were stationed. 
My old friend and comrade Captain Neil Helm was here, and soon 
after William Hamby joined us. Captain Helm was killed at Chester, 
South Carolina: he was riding on top of the car, and the train 
running under a low stone bridge spanning the track, he was struck 
on the head and instantly killed. We buried him there, and with 
heavy hearts continued our journey. Being compelled to travel 
by private conveyance from this point, as the railroad tracks had all 



\ 

I 



200 THE P.ARTIS AN RANGERS. 

been torn up, at Mount Pleasant, about twelve miles from Mont- 
gomery, Alabama, we met Generals Buford and Adams with their 
commands, falling back before Wilson. They insisted that it 
would be impossible for us to go any further in that direction, but 
procuring a two-horse wagon, and in company with Captain William 
M'oore, of Forrest's command, Colonel S. P. Cunningham, of my 
command, and Lieutenant Ferguson, of Arkansas, we started on a 
flank movement, making directly for the ferry across the Alabama 
river, near the State penitentiary. By the time we reached the 
river and secured the boat, the Federal bullets were flying thick 
over our heads, but we reached the opposite shore in safety, and 
having the river between us and Wilson's raiders, we flanked them, 
and getting in their rear, made our way to Selma, Alabama. We 
found the railroad tracks torn up and the town in ruins, but we 
succeeded in getting transportation and proceeded to our destina- 
tion, Macon, Mississippi. Here I found about one hundred and 
fifty of my men under command of Captain Shanks. These men 
received me with enthusiasm, and declared themselves ready to go 
with me into Kentucky. We went to work at once to prepare for 
our trip, but before we were quite ready the sad intelligence of 
Lee's surrender reached us. Now for the first time I collapsed; in 
all my life I think this was the blackest day. General Dick Taylor 
soon notified me that he intended to surrender. Wherefore, seeing 
that all was over, I bade farewell to my men and pursued my way 
to Texas. We went directly to Big Black river, where the Federals 
had established an exchange station. Here we met Mrs. General 
Bowen, who, by her pluck and courage, had obtained permission 
to take supplies to our sick and wounded. She was one of the most 
elegant ladies I ever met, and was particularly kind to us; through 
her we found good quarters in Vicksburg with true friends. We 
met with kind treatment from the Federal General Smith, who 
was in command at Vicksburg. He gave us transportation to New 
Orleans. Arriving at that place, I found a letter from one of my 
officers in Kentucky stating that a large number of my men had 
been arrested, charged with horse-stealing, etc., and it would require 
my evidence to keep them from being sent to the penitentiary; at 
the same time they advised me not to come back as I might 
myself receive rough treatm.ent. i determined to go and share the 
fate of my men. Taking passage on a steamboat, my wife and I 
returned to Henderson, and on my making affidavit that my men 



LATT ER D AY S. ' 201 

were regularly enlisted in the Confederate army and had orders 
from me to impress horses if they could not otherwise procure them, 
all the cases were dismissed. It was here that I received another 
evidence of the love and affection of my men: they made arrange- 
ments to buy one of the finest farms in that part of Kentucky, 
known as the Samuels, or Slaughter, farm, and sent a delegation 
to me to say if I would come and live on it they would have it 
deeded to me, and would guarantee that it should be cultivated for 
me without any expense on my part as long as 1 lived. It would 
be impossible for me to express my appreciation of this generous 
offer. I know I had the truest and best body of men that ever 
belonged to any command; their lives since the great war bear 
me out in this assertion. I declined this kind offer, telling my men 
that it might happily fall to my lot to have a family of children, 
and I could not bear the thought of having them reared on the 
bounty of others. My two brothers who had been in the Federal 
army insisted on giving me a home at Henderson, but this was 
declined for the same reason. Uncle John Barrett, Mr. Burbank 
and others insisted on providing for me — all seeming to think it 
impossible for me to make a living. Having confidence in the great 
resources of Texas, I determined to return to my home in that 
State. 

Before concluding this chapter I wish to say a few words in 
justice to one of the greatest and best men of this country. My 
interviews with him in Richmond show that President Davis, beneath 
a dignified and calm exterior, dominated by an iron will, had a 
kind and tender heart; in every order or advice I ever received he 
exhibited the greatest consideration for non-combatants who were 
Union men, and never at any time did I receive any instructions 
that would permit me to seize, confiscate or destroy private property, 
or to rob or plunder any one of money or goods on account or 
his politics. After reading the sketch of Major Walker Taylor, 
hereinafter published, which includes a letter from President Davis 
and an account of an interview between Mr. Davis and Major 
Walker Taylor, the most skeptical will be convinced that President 
Davis never had any knowledge of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln 
before it happened; those who knew Mr. Davis intimately, or even 
casually, know that his whole life gave the lie to such an outrageous 
accusation. The South has long since learned that Mr. Lincoln was 
a good-hearted man. His idol was the Union. " The Union " was 



I 



202 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

his war-cry. It enabled him to use every means to attain his end. 
He could declare martial law and suspend the writ of habeas corpus; 
these extraordinary powers are essential to success in a civil war. 
The Northern States were consolidated and unified under one Federal 
head. On the other hand, Mr. Davis, by his doctrine of " States' 
rights," was hampered from the start. The Southern States retained 
their " reserved powers " and exercised them. The Confederate 
Government was merely their agent. Constitutional freedom could 
not be restrained by it. Each State demanded protection, and thus 
scattered the armies that might have been concentrated and launched 
at once into Northern territory. Mr. Davis's inaugural address 
foreshadowed this policy when he said if there must be war it is 
Northern homes and Northern fire-sides that shall feel it. But 
the policy was not executed; it was constrained by the principle. 



-1 



CHAPTER XXV. 

THE NEW HOME. 

In September, 1865, I returned to the Texas frontier, but deprived 
of sight, temporarily crippled, stripped of all my property, in debt, 
health shattered by continued exposure, and confronted by the duty 
of making a living for self and family. The conditions were gen- 
erally bad. Many of the citizens were without the common necessi- 
ties of life, there being no money in the country. The Indians 
often made raids on the scattered settlements, stealing from their 
small herds, sometimes taking the last cow or horse. Wishing to 
relieve my neighbors to some extent and to earn my own livelihood, 
I set up a small store and took as partner John Moore, a Confederate 
soldier and a most excellent man. This business was fairly successful, 
but it was very hard to carry on, as the nearest market was at 
Austin, a fifty-mile journey, and only to be made on horseback, 
since the roads were very rough and the trip could be made quicker 
by this mode of travel. Possessing a good horse, I often made this 
trip in a day, with only a small boy as companion. 

The first election for governor of the State was about this time 
and Mr. Throckmorton and Colonel G. W. Jones, both of whom 
were my personal friends, respectively were elected governor and 
lieutenant governor, but " reconstruction " measures being enforced, 
they were ejected from office, and confusion reigned all over the 
State. Many citizens were thrown into prison; among them were 
my partner, John Moore, and his father. The irritation of constant 
contact with the agents of this new organization determined me to 
move further west. I much preferred to face the dangers of Indian 
raids rather than the meanness and rapacity of the reconstruction- 

203 



204 THE P ARTIS AN RANGERS. 

ists; so securing the former homestead of the Reverend Jonas Dancer^ 
who had been killed some time before by the Indians, 1 took my wife 
and child and settled in Llano count}^ 

This home was situated in the beautiful and romantic " Honey 
Creek Cove," right in the heart of the loveliest and richest part of 
the county. A range of mountains rose in the distance, while broad,, 
fertile valleys, flanked by gently rolling hills, stretched to their base. 
The landscape was brightened and the air rendered fragrant by a 
multitude of wild flowers that covered the virgin soil. A hundred 
springs burst from the mountain side, and leaping down their rocky 
beds, winded their way through the valleys. 

One of these lovely streams flowed through the wide valley to 
the " Cove," where the old Dancer home was situated. Here in 
a bit of forest land many song birds and birds of brilliant plumage 
found shelter; deer roamed in its recesses, and bears and wolves, both 
black and gray, made their lairs in these solitudes, where they were 
often pursued by hunters. Enormous quantities of delicious honey 
were found in many old trees in this forest, which the settlers prized 
as well for its rare flavor as for the pleasant addition it made to their 
frugal fare. That is why they named the place " Honey Creek 
Cove." Mr. Dancer had chosen this spot on account of. its beauty 
and fertility; others came and soon the ring of the ax and hammer 
resounded through the wilderness. While the new comers were 
building their cabins Mr. Dancer, who was of the Methodist persua- 
sion, v/as engaged in erecting and forming a large church. Within 
this building the gospel was first preached to the mountaineers of 
this border country. For several years these brave people lived in 
peace and happiness, pursuing their various vocations. But at last 
their quiet was rudely broken. 

On the twenty-third day of May, 1859, Mr. Dancer and others 
were to meet at a certain point to cut out a new road from Llano 
\o the city of Austin. Always punctual in his appointments, Mr. 
Dancer, tools in hand, repaired to the spot. From some cause the 
others failed to come. Dancer had a couple of horses which he 
hoppled, and thinking the others would soon arrive, he began work 
by himself. While he was thus engaged a party of five or six 
Indians stole up and attacked him. Being unarmed. Dancer fled 
to a deep ravine, closely pursued by the savages, who made several 
attempts to rope him with their lariats, but failed. He reached the 
bed of the ravine unhurt, but the Indians rushed up on the bluifs 




RESIDENCE OF GENERAL ADAM R. JOHNSON, 
Burnet, Texas, 1884. 



THE NEW HOME. 205 

overlooking- this place and began pouring showers of arrows down 
upon the unfortunate old man. A number of the poisoned missiles 
took eflfect, and being weak from the loss of blood, he walked 
around a projecting rock in the bluff, and seating himself on a stone 
bench, soon expired. The Comanches then came down from their 
station on the bluff and scalped, as well as mutilated their victim. 
On the following morning a searching party found their faithful 
counsellor and friend as the savages had left him, and standing 
around his bier each of his neighbors took an oath of vengeance 
against the red devils who had murdered him. 

Ten years after this tragedy I took possession of Dancer's old 
home. It had been sadly neglected during this interval. The roof 
had fallen in, and wild vines ran in undisturbed confusion in and 
out among the crevices of its framework. The Avhole place had 
a desolate air. 

Such was the condition of the Dancer house when I arrived with 
my family; but stretching a wagon-sheet over the decayed roof, we 
began repairs at once and soon were comfortably housed. Two 
Brazeal boys were with us, and the sound of their hammers could 
be heard from morning till night as the shingles were put in place. 
One day the last shingle was nailed on just as the sun sank in 
the west; both men hurried to get the horses corralled in the lot 
near the house so that they could retire immediately after supper, 
as they were very tired from their hard day's labor. It was a bright 
moonlight night, and while the inmates of the Dancer home were 
peacefully sleeping a band of Indians crept up to the corral, and 
silently opening the gate, drove all my horses out into a herd 
they had stolen from neighboring settlers. No one dreamed of the 
nearness of foes, and the Brazeal boys were greatly surprised when 
in the early dawn they ran upon them camped upon the other side 
of the creek. The white boys gave chase, but the wily savages 
escaped with three of my finest horses. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



INDIAN RAIDS. 



Early in the spring of '61 one of tlie Miller and one 
of the Morrow boys loaded a wagon with corn and set 
out on a thirty-mile trip to mill. They reached their destination 
safe, and after getting their corn ground, started on their return. 
They were crossing the valley of Brady creek, when a body of 
Indians on foot suddenly rushed out from a dense thicket near the 
road side and fiercely^ attacked them. The two men in the wagon 
seeing the great odds against them, whipped their horses, and dashed 
down a steep, rocky hill, the jolting of the wagon causing Miller's 
pistol to fall out of the holster into the road. One of the foremost 
Indians snatched it up and emptied its contents at him, but luckily 
no shot took effect. The white men had but one six-shooter left, 
but as the savages rushed upon the wagon using their bows and 
arrows, Miller and Morrow took turn about and made every shot 
tell. While some of the Indians were trying to shoot them with 
arrows or spear them others endeavored to stop the wagon by 
throwing large stones in front of the wheels. In this manner the 
running fight continued for some time, when Morrow succeeded in 
killing another Indian with his last shot. This made them fall back 
temporarily, and seizing the opportunity the men cut loose one of 
the best horses from the harness, mounted him and fled to a thicket 
near by. Finding it impossible to enter it on horseback, they dis- 
mounted and went in on foot, secreting themselves in the thickest 
brush they could find. The red men came up, took the horse, but 
did not venture into the brush. 

206 



INDIAN RAIDS. 207 

During the fight Miller had received twenty-seven wounds and 
Morrow twenty-one. The fact that none of these were mortal was 
on account of the drizzling rain which was falling, and which slack- 
ened the bow strings so that it was impossible to send the arrows 
with much force. The red men returned to the wagon, emptied 
the meal into the road, took all the horses, and disappeared in the 
woods. 

The two wounded men suifered terribly for water, and as soon 
as they were sure the Indians were gone, Morrow, who was not 
so badly hurt as his companion, crawled to a creek that fortunately 
was near, and after slaking his own thirst, he pulled off one of 
his boots, filled it with water, and with the greatest difficulty and 
the most intense pain managed to carry it to where he had left 
Miller, thus saving the poor fellow's life. 

Miller and Morrow not reaching home at the time they were 
expected, a party went out to look for them, and found them in 
a most terrible condition. They were unable to walk and their 
clothes were stiff with clotted blood. After reaching home and 
having good attention paid their wounds, they recovered. 

Captain Morrow lived for many years at Marble Falls, Texas, 
where he died recently. 

Miller is living in the Indian Territory, and the last time he was 
heard from was doing well. 

It was not long after this that another raid was made upon the 
settlement of " Honey Creek Cove." It was almost twilight — a cool,., 
peaceful evening, and no one had a thought that Indians were near. 
Mrs. Johnson went down to turn in the cattle — some sixty head — 
into the lot near the house, while with my child on my shoulder I. 
stood guard, my gun in hand. I never went out without my shotgun, 
which, loaded with buckshot, could do full execution even in the 
hands of a blind man, who was practiced in its use. While we were- 
thus occupied two boys who had been gathering cattle rode up, 
dismounted, hoppled the horses and turned them into the adjoining 
pasture, and then went off down to the field to gather corn for the 
morning feed. The field was only a half mile away and they were 
gone only a short time. On their return they found the Indians 
had stolen all the horses. These two boys had hardly got out of 
sight when a band of eleven Indians sneaked up, unhoppled the 
horses and drove them out of the pasture. They were out of my 
hearing and out of Mrs. Johnson's sight, and probably my lack of 



208 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

sight saved me, for the red men seeing me with a gun had planned 
to kill me if 1 interfered with them and had placed an ambush for 
that purpose. They had made their escape by the time the boys 
got back, and this time took all the horses. This band of savages 
had gone down the river, and coming upon old man Smith at the 
Fort Mason crossing, killed and scalped him; then passing on 
through Burnet, made their way northward, taking my fine lot of 
horses with them. 

In the summer of 1868 a party of eight Indians came into the 
settlement on the waters of the Leon, in Hamilton county. The 
first house they approached was that of a Mr. Pickett. They sent 
one of their number as a spy ahead, who took his position on the 
top of a hill near Pickett's house. In his eagerness to spy out the 
land he advanced too far out of the brush and was discovered by 
one of Pickett's children. The child reported the fact to its father. 
Pickett, knowing well the cunning of an Indian, walked in his yard 
for some time, carelessly showing himself as if unaware of the 
Indian's proximity, then entered his house. When he came out 
he was accompanied by another man, each with a blanket wrapped 
around his shoulders, and with a bucket in his hand ; they took their 
way toward a spring a short distance off, as if for the purpose of 
getting water. The blankets were worn to prevent the savage from 
seeing their guns. As soon as they were out of the Indian's sight 
they dropped their blankets, slipped around to the opposite side 
of the hill, then cautiously crawled up to within a few yards of 
the place where the Indian was watching for them to return from 
the spring with their buckets of water. Pickett and his companion 
both fired at him at the same time, and he fell dead, pierced with 
two bullets. They then hastily concealed themselves in the bushes 
near by and reloaded their guns and stood in readiness for the 
advance of his comrades. They had not long to wait, for the other 
eight Indians hearing the shots came rushing up to see what was 
the matter. When they were in close gunshot the two men in 
ambuscade fired upon them and killed two more. The remaining 
five turned and fled, but unfortunately for them, they had gone 
but a short distance when they met Captain Crawfield. This gallant 
officer at once charged them, killed three of the band and wounded 
a fourth, the fifth making good his escape. The wounded Indian 
was disabled entirely and died soon after the fight occurred; that 




PUBLIC SCHOOL, BURNET, TEXAS. 



•1 



INDIAN RAIDS. 209 

night the one who had escaped returned to the place and buried 
him. Only one of these eight Indians survived. 

In the fall of this same year it was even harder to live than it 
had been in the summer, as food for both man and beast was scarcer, 
and there was more work to do, as wood had to be cut and brought 
in, and plowing had to be done; but all the settlers were resolved 
to stay in this wild country and risk the monthly raids of the 
Indians and make for themselves homes in the fertile valleys of 
the Texas frontier. Provisions of all kind except beef and pork 
were very high in price, and as money was scarce their trials and 
tribulations were many. Though both cattle and hogs were cheap, 
there was hardly any sale for them, as the owners generally would 
not venture out to find a market for them for fear of the Indians. 
But not having the fear of the red men before me, I decided to take 
a herd of cattle and find a market for them. Employing two cow- 
boys, I had them gather together all my spare stock, and inviting 
my neighbors to put in as many as they desired, I started on the 
journey. Fortunately, we were not molested by the savages, and 
on reaching Fort Worth, which then was only a small village, 127 
acres of land was offered me for the herd. Had it been my own 
individual property I would have made the deal, for I realized that 
at some distant day that very piece of land would prove a fortune: 
the small town I foresaw would in a few years be quite the splendid 
city that it now is, and the land would be very valuable. Remem- 
bering, however, the wants of my neighbors, I looked for a cash 
market, and disposing of the herd, returned home with money and 
provisions. 

On the fifth of February, 1868, while Mrs. Friend, the owner of 
a home in Legion Valley, about fifteen miles from Llano, and a less 
distance from Honey Creek Cove, in company with two or three 
ladies and a lot of children, was at the cow pen, situated about one 
hundred yards from the house, engaged in milking, they were 
startled at the sight of some fifteen Indians passing by. The women, 
with the children, fled to the house and barred the door. The 
savages seeing no men around the place, turned their course toward 
the house also. At the time of attack the inmates of the house were : 
Mrs. Friend, Mrs. Samantha Johnson, Mrs. Rebecca Johnson, Miss 
Amanda Townsend, a little girl, Malinda Cordle, Lee Temple Friend, 
a lad of eight years, and the two babies of the Mrs. Johnsons. The 
house was made of pickets, and when the Indians found that the 



210 THE PARTIS AX RAXGERS. 

door had been barred, they pulled out a couple of pickets. The 
only resistance made '\\'as by Mrs. Friend, who insisted upon the 
other ladies joining her in the defense of the place, but they coun- 
selled conservatism, thinking that the Indians would not bother 
them if they submitted quietly. There were two guns in the house, 
and Mrs. Friend, seeing an Indian about to enter through the 
aperture made by pulling out the pickets, seized one of the weapons 
j and attempted to shoot, but the gun was wrested from her hands by 

! an Indian buck, who doubtless would have shot her had not another 

Indian (possibly fearing an alarm would be given by the report 
of the gun) snatched it from him. The savage who had attempted 
to shoot was then struck by Mrs. Friend with a smoothing iron. 
The blow almost knocked him down, but he recovered himself, fitted 
an arrow to his bow and shot Mrs. Friend in the side; x 
second arrow passed through her arm, while a third struck her in the 
breast. After receiving the third wound, being unable to make- 
further resistance, she seated herself upon the bed and leaned her 
head against one of its posts. Thinking she was dead, one of the 
brutes began to scalp her. This gave her so much pain she threw up 
her hand and caught the knife. The Indian drew it fiercely through 
her hand, cutting it severely. Attempting to seize it a second time, 
the savage dealt her three hard blows which completely disabled her. 
The brute then finished his fiendish operation of scalping her at his 
leisure, and left the poor woman for dead. One of these fiends 
incarnate, thinking possibly she A\'as not quite dead, returned and 
gave the arrow sticking in her breast several severe jerks backward 
i and forward to see if she ^^^ould flinch. Mrs. Friend, seeing the 

\ savage coming back, placed herself in exactly the same position she 

was in while being scalped and remained as if lifeless during all 
this painful torture. Satisfying himself that she was dead, the red 
devil left. 

All the others ^\'ho were in the house when it was attacked wext 
taken prisoners, and Mrs. Friend, hearing their cries as they were 
led off, arose and tried to walk to the window to gti a farewell 
look at her friends, but being very ^veak from the loss of blood, 
she was unable to stand, and with great difficulty managed to cra\vl. 
to the opening in the side of the house to take the last look at 
them. When the Indians were out of sight the poor wounded 
woman bound a cloth around her head and shutting her teeth 
together with determination, \\'ent out of the house, put the few 



IKDIAX RAIDS. 211 

things the savages had left back in the room, shut the door, and 
started on foot to Mr. Bradford's, about a mile and a half away. It 
"was about sundown when this brave woman started on her painful 
journey, but it was not until eight o'clock that she reached her 
destination. On her way she slaked her burning thirst with snow. 
As she approached the house the dogs began barking fiercely, and 
Bradford came out to see what was disturbing them. When he 
saw the bloody figure the moonlight revealed it frightened him so 
he ran back into the house. Mrs, Friend called to him and' told 
him who she was, then he came out and took her in. At her request 
he extracted all the arrows from her body, then fled with his family, 
as he feared the Indians would return. Bloody, faint from wounds, 
scalped and still bleeding, Mrs. Friend was left alone, these heartless 
people not even taking time to dress her wounds or remove her 
bloody clothing. They did, however, make a fire and set a bucket 
of water by her, but then deserted the helpless woman. 

The next morning two widows living in Legion \'alley came to 
her relief. The cloth on her head had dried and stuck so fast to 
the wound that it could only be removed by the use of hot ^\'ater, 
and her body was so swollen from the arrow vv^ounds that it was 
with great difficulty that her clothing was gotten oif These kind 
ladies did all they could for her, but it was not till late in the evening 
that a doctor arrived. It was almost a year before this heroic woman 
recovered, but finally she regained her health and removed to 
Kansas. 

During the night of the same day a runner arrived in the town 
of Llano and announced the sad tragedy. Early next morning ten 
or twelve armed citizens rode to Legion Valley. Arriving upon the 
ground, their examination showed that the Indians had gone in a 
southerly direction. "When about a mile and a half from the 
house (says Mr. D. L. Luce, of Hayes county) we found on a large 
rock six or eight feet high Mrs. Johnson's baby A\'ith its brains 
knocked out. Four miles further on the trail, on the top of a 
mountain, we found where they had stopped, built a fire, roasted 
their meat, and from impressions on the ground we suppose their 
stay here had been for some time. At this place a trail was found 
leading out from the camp to a thicket about a hundred yards distant. 
Following the trail to this point we found the mangled body of Miss 
Townsend, Mrs. Johnson's eighteen-year-old sister. She had been 
tied down on the snow-covered ground and from all appearances 



212 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

had been brutally outraged, then killed and her body mutilated almost 
beyond recognition. Continuing the pursuit some three miles 
further off the mountain and down into the valley, not far from 
the J. C. Talley place, we found the body of Mrs. Johnson, stripped 
of nearly all her clothing, and nearly eaten up by the hogs. At 
this point our party divided, a portion continuing the pursuit of 
the Indians and their remaining captives, while the others stayed 
behind to bury the dead. I, with six or seven others, still followed 
the trail. The Indians, after winding through the mountains and 
collecting about thirty head of horses, turned due west. We 
followed these red skins for five days, often traveling at night when 
the trail could be seen. From the little tracks seen around the 
water-holes where the savages had stopped to drink we knew they 
still had the little eight-year-old son of Mrs. Friend. Our determi- 
nation to follow and overtake them was much strengthened on 
discovering this fact, and we continued the pursuit to near Devil's 
river, and were but a short distance behind them when, for want 
of food, our horses gave out and left us afoot." 

The little girl, Malinda Cordle, was carried off with the little 
Friend boy, and remained a captive for about eight months, when 
she was recovered by a body of United States dragoons and sent 
to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, from there to Fort Arbuckle, and 
then returned to her relatives in Texas. The little boy was held by 
the Indians for nearly five years, but was finally recovered by his 
grandfather, L. S. Friend. At the time of his reclamation he could 
speak nothing but Indian dialect and had learned all the customs of 
the savages. 

These Indians who had been guilty of this horrible crime, as well 
as many similar ones all along the Texas frontier, were the proteges 
of the government, fed and clothed by it, and its agents and 
traders who knew nothing of their fiendish nature furnished them 
Avith guns and ammunition. The Northern people were secure from 
all danger of savage warfare and perhaps knew nothing of the 
crimes committed monthly by the Comanches. With hearts over- 
flowing with sympathy, they wrote and spoke at their clubs and so- 
cieties of the tribulations of the poor red man, but were his accom- 
plices all the same in the outrages he committed, as they furnished 
him the weapons necessary for their accomplishment. Could they 
have been witnesses of such deeds as the Friend case, all their 
misplaced sympathy with the Indian would have been swept away, 



'1 



INDIAN RAIDS. , 213: 

and they would have shuddered with horror at the thought of their 
having- helped in bloody wars against women and children. 

As each month, during the light of the moon, a raid was made 
by the Comanches and more horrible deeds were committed, I 
determined to get the frontier people together and make an appeal 
to the government to put a stop to cheir incursions. I interviewed 
Judge John Hancock and Governor E. M. Pease and got them to 
enter immediately upon the work. These two men did all they 
could, but the misrepresentations of the sutlers and Indian traders 
and misled philanthropists retarded this movement, and murders, 
thefts, and raids continued. Companies of minute-men were formed 
by the settlers and the ditTerent passes in the mountains guarded, 
but the wily savages managed to elude these men and come down 
into the valleys and kill and steal as before. 

Many of the frontier men organized to go into the Indian country 
and retaliate by making war against them and fighting it out on 
their own ground. Captain Buck Roberts, commander of the minute- 
men, fell upon the trail of a band of marauding Indians, chased 
them to Packsaddle mountain, ran them olf down to Honey creek, 
and killed and wounded several, but most of them escaped. The 
feeling of insecurity among the settlers increased, and many people 
left the frontier. 

The counties of Denton and Cook at this time were sparsely 
settled, and large game of all kinds roamed over its prairies. In 
these counties frequent incursions were made by the wild Indian 
tribes of the upper Red river valley, from the early settlements as 
late as 1868, when the last raid was made by a band of Comanches, 
estimated at three hundred strong. 

On the fifth of January began this memorable raid in which more 
than three hundred painted warriors took part. The attack was 
unexpected, and the citizens were unprepared to resist the over- 
whelming numbers. Among the first settlers that came into this 
part of the country was D. G. Menasco. Mr. Menasco and his 
brother-in-law were absent from home that day, and his two oldest 
children were visiting their aunt, Mrs. Shegog, whose home was a 
mile away. Hearing that the Indians were in the country, Mrs. 
Menasco's father went to Mrs. Shegog's to bring her and his grand- 
children over to Menasco's for better protection. While returning 
the Comanches came upon and surrounded the party, killing the 
grandfather and making captives of the others. The weather for 



214 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

that time of the year was warm, and they were thinly clad. The 
capture occurred about four o'clock on Sunday afternoon. The cap- 
tives were Mrs. Shegog and her eighteen-month-old baby and Lizzie 
and May Menasco, six and four years old respectively. The Indians 
then crossed over the creek and surrounded Mr. Menasco's dwelling. 
They approached with the usual demoniacal yells and whoops, 
threatening each moment to enter the house and capture the inmates, 
while Mrs. Menasco, with courage born of a mother's love and with 
gun in hand, defended her fireside. At the same time she saw with 
horror that they had her two oldest children. Maintaining a 
threatening attitude for some time, the Indians finally withdrew, 
taking with them the horses found in the lot. They went about a 
mile in an easterly direction, then stopped and dashed Mrs. Shegog's 
baby's brains out against a tree while she stood looking on, powerless 
to defend her child. The savages then went on through Gainesville 
to a point six miles east of that town, then retraced their way and 
went into camp one mile west. They waited for daylight, as the 
moon had gone down and the latter part of the night was dark. 
During the night a freezing norther blew up and just before day 
Mrs. Shegog made her escape and found her way, though almost 
frozen, to a settler's house, where she was kindly received. At 
daybreak the Indians started on westward. After going seven or 
eight miles west of Gainesville they left the Menasco children. One 
month afterward the remains of one was found and the other 
three months later. It was supposed they had frozen to death. 

Soon after this the Shegog and Menasco families removed to 
Pilot Point, where they have since resided. 

We give this story in detail as it is an illustration of many that 
happened about that time. The whole of the Texas frontier from 
the Red river to the Rio Grande had been raided during the year 
1868. Meetings of the pioneers were held all along the line, their 
object being to devise ways and means to protect their homes. 
Another factor in the trouble and danger of the citizens of Llano and 
Burnet counties was a so-called military company raised under com- 
mission from Governor Pease. They proposed to aid the civil 
government in arresting and bringing to justice criminals who they 
claimed had committed crimes during the civil war. In this 
company were men who joined it for the purpose of wreaking their 
private spite or for plunder. Many citizens determined not to be 
arrested by this band, and armed themselves and took to the woods 



INDIAN RAIDS. 215 

for protection. This was a desperate state of affairs; these hardy 
pioneers had not only the Indians to fight, but a band of white 
maurauders as well. The whole country was in a state of agitation 
and alarm. 1 was appealed to and took decisive measures to rid 
the land of this military company. I first obtained a pledge from 
the citizens that they would report to the district court as soon as 
it convened, then interviewed the district judge and attorney, both 
of whom were strong partisans as well as appointees of the governor, 
but were honorable men and good friends of mine. They gave me 
a written statement that the military company was altogether 
unnecessary and that the civil law could be enforced. Taking these 
statements to the Governor, I secured an order for the disbandment 
of the company. Having accomplished this, and finding that the 
neighborhood was again in great want, as many of the cattle buyers 
were unwilling to come into this territory, 1 gathered another herd 
of cattle, drove them to Houston, disposed of them and again brought 
back supplies. 

The organization of minute-men during the year 1869 proved to 
be of great value; this year closed with the advantage greatly in 
favor of the white men. Some ten or fifteen settlers on Squaw 
creek recaptured about two hundred head of horses and killed the 
entire band of thieving Indians. Colonel Dalrymple and the gold 
hunters in their fight on Wichita mountain succeeded in driving off 
a large body of Indians that had surrounded them, killing and wound- 
ing a number of them. The colonel himself was so seriously 
wounded that he could not follow up his advantage, but a company 
of soldiers near at hand followed their trail and killed twenty of 
them while twice that number was wounded. 

The killing of Hazelwood, in Stevens county, was followed 
by one of the most daring and desperate fights of this year, which 
deserves to be mentioned. 

Early in the autumn of 1869 two young men named Dillard and 
Dorrell arrived in Texas from Louisville, Kentucky. They were 
very anxious to see the wild West generally and set to improving a 
place yet known as Fort Davis. Dillard planted the farm in 
watermelons, and raising a large crop, he and his little 
brother started with a load of them in a two-horse wagon for Fort 
Griffin. On their way home a party of thirty Indians attacked them. 
The savages were mounted, painted, and in full war costume. Both 
of the boys jumped from the wagon, Henry with a repeating rifle. 



216^ THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

After running a short distance, Henry halted and fired upon the 
foremost Indian, but his shot flew wide of the mark and the only 
effect it had was a temporary check. Taking advantage of their 
halt, the two boys ran for some timber on a creek until they were 
compelled to stop again and confront their pursuers. The second 
shot from Henry's rifle only stopped them for a moment. The third 
ball brought down both a horse and its rider. Seeing their comrade 
fall, the other Indians gave a yell and rushed upon the boys. One 
of the savages seized Willie and was in the act of setting him in 
front of him in the saddle when Henry put a bullet through him. 
The boys then made for the thicket as fast as they could go. Just 
as they were within a few feet of the brush Henry stumbled and 
fell, but quickly regaining his feet, he shot the Indian that was 
dismounting, scalping knife in hand, to scalp him, thinking no doubt 
that he was dead. In another moment the boys reached the timber 
and the unequal contest came to an end, for the savages had been 
so roughly handled they dared not follow them further. These daring 
white boys came out of the fight without a scratch and the Indians 
on their return to Fort Sill reported that they had a fight with a 
" heap damn big captain and his little boy " and that " their medi- 
cine " was too strong for them. The boys stayed that night at a 
farm house and next day went to Fort Griffin and reported to an 
oificer, who sent out a detachment of dragoons at once in pursuit 
of the Comanches. It was found that the Dillard brothers had 
killed and wounded eleven Indians besides several horses. 




COLLEGE, MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS, 
Built by Gen. A. R Johnson in 1890. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

INDIAN RAIDS. (CONTINUED.) 

Burnet county is traversed by a broad, heavy ridge running from 
northwest to the southeast corner, and is covered with a dense 
growth of cedar timber and a short scrubby oak brush called shin 
oak, almost impenetrable in many places. When 1 first knew it it- 
was the home of the bear, panther, wolf and the fiercer Mexican 
lion. It was also a retreat for deer, wild turkey and smaller game. 
This ridge is the divide between the Colorado and Brazos rivers, 
and the source of many a clear, sparkling spring, making an ideal 
hiding place for the Indian in his raids upon our settlements, which 
sprinkled the beautiful valleys that lay along its base. From its 
summits the Indians could spy out the settlers, and descending, mur- 
der them when oiT their guard. It was along this ridge that Van 
Hook, Skaggs, Jackson and several others were killed. And it was 
here that my wife, her sister, Mrs. Hammond, and Miss 
Luce were hunting dewberries, when Mrs. Hammond, seeing some 
ripe ones, insisted on getting down to gather them, while Mrs. John- 
son urged her not to do so. Miss L.uce also begged Mrs. Hammond 
to remain on her horse, saying she saw an Indian, and pointing up 
the road, exclaimed : " There is an Indian ! " Mrs. Hammond 
becoming frightened endeavored to mount her horse. All three of 
the animals seemed to be disturbed, but at last Mrs. Johnson, catch- 
ing the bridle, succeeded in holding Mrs. Hammond's horse until 
she could get into the saddle. Mrs. Johnson knew her horse could 
leap the shin oak bushes, so she gave her whip to Miss Luce, and 
telling the others to follow her, that she was not going back by the 

217 



218 THE PARTISAN RANGERS* 

road, she settled herself in the saddle, determined to put her horse 
to his best gait, and looked back to see what the Indian was doing. 
To her terror she saw another Indian standing calmly in the road 
by the other. Mrs. Johnson did not give a second look at these 
red men, but shook her bridle reins and called to her companions 
to come on. ^' Joe Smith " tossed his head as if he knew the danger 
his mistress was in and started away straight through the brush, 
taking the bushes as they came. He needed no spur or whip to 
urge him on, but kept his pace nobly through the rough country, 
speeding over stock and stone as nimbly as a deer. Mrs. Hammond 
allowed her horse to have the rein and kept close in her sister's 
rear, while Miss Luce laid whip to her little pony and managed to 
keep up with them in their mad race. The three frightened women 
did not stop until they reached the town and told some of the men 
of the presence of the Indians. A party of the citizens went at once 
in search of them, but failed to find them. 

Soon after this a large party of savages raided down through 
Honey Creek Cove, in the vicinity of Packsaddle mountain, crossed 
the Llano river at the mouth of Honey creek, and came upon Mr. 
Whitlock, who was ploughing in his field. His little three-year-old 
boy was playing in the road near by. They captured him, laid down 
the fence, and rushing in upon Mr. Whitlock, killed and scalped him, 
then moved up to the Whitlock home on the side of Long mountain. 
Mrs. Whitlock seized a gun and tried to defend herself, but the 
Indians shot her and tied her body between two of the beds, took the 
other children into the yard and dashed their brains out against a 
tree, covered their little bodies with sheets, set fire to the house and 
then pursued their way, carrying off the little boy. This home was 
right on the public road between Llano and Burnet, and not far 
from the town, but the savages were so stealthy and cunning in 
their movement no one knew of the terrible deed until the brothers 
of the murdered family reached the house as the roof was falling in. 

District court was in session and a number of people were in the 
town of Llano. Court was suspended and parties of men were 
sent in pursuit of the Indians, but they escaped with their captive — 
the little Whitlock boy — and he was never recovered. 

During the war between the States there lived in Young county 
on " Peter's Colony " Moses Johnson, and with him a shining black, 
good-natured negro, named Brit. Brit had a wife and four children, 
all of whom he dearly loved. Brit's master, Moses Johnson, 



INDIAN RAIDS. 219 

depended in part upon his strong arm to defend his family and the 
neighborhood from the bands of hostile Indians. On the thirteenth 
day of October, 1864, while Brit Johnson was absent in Parker 
county after supplies for his master's family, one thousand 
Comanche warriors swept through the neighborhood, carrying death 
and destruction to every hearth-stone. They killed Brit's son, Jim, 
Joel Meyers, Doctor T. J. Wilson, James McCoy and his son. Miles, 
the widow Durgan and five out of fifteen Texas rangers, and 
wounded many others. They carried off as captives the widow 
Patrick, two daughters of the slain widow Durgan, and the negro's 
wife, and those of his children whom they had not murdered. When 
Brit returned home he was not paralyzed by his great grief, but 
determined to have back his wife and children or perish in the effort 
to release them. Under the generous treatment of his master he 
had become the owner of a number of horses and cattle, and when 
the war was over and he was given his freedom he tried every way 
to recover his lost ones. He visited the forts in the Indian Territory, 
and oft'ered as ransom all he had. He made inquiries at every 
Indian agency, but could find no trace of his family. He returned 
home and tried to resume his work, but could not stand the thought 
of his wife being the slave of the red men ; so mounting his favorite 
black horse, he started out alone across the Panhandle of Texas, a 
part of the State, hundreds of miles wide, filled with hostile tribes, 
to find the tribe that held his wife in bondage. One evening, when 
he was almost worn out from his hard journey, he discovered upon 
a mountain peak some Indian pickets. They discovered him at 
about the same time. Brit signaled them as a friend, approached, 
and informed them that his purposes were friendly and that he 
wanted to find his wife and become one of the tribe. After being 
held by the pickets for three days he was taken to the main village, 
where he was received very kindly; his wife and children were 
restored to him, and he disarmed suspicion by becoming a member 
of the tribe. It was the custom of the Indians when hunting for 
game to scatter out over the plains in small squads to kill and cure 
their meat. The negro took advantage of this custom, got his wife 
and children and one of the captured Durgan girls in his hunting 
party, and under the friendly shades of night, set out with his 
party on horseback for his Texas home, which he finally reached 
in safety, guided by the stars and his general knowledge of the 
country. The Indians never forgot or forgave what they deemed 



220 THE P ARTI S AN RANGERS » 

his treacher}^ to their tribe. In the latter part of January, 1871, 
while returning' from Weatherford with a couple of negroes who 
were to assist him in gathering in his stock, they camped over night 
on the road. Unknown to them a wagon freight train was camped 
on the same road about one mile further west. Early the next 
morning while '' the freighters " were rounding in their stock, about 
twenty-five mounted warriors suddenly appeared and began hostile 
maneuvers, but at the same time rapid and continual firing began 
at Brit's camp, to which this party of warriors hastened. A large 
band of painted Indians, once the friends, but now the deadly 
enemies of Brit, had surrounded him and his two companions. 
Brit's companions fell early in the action, but though he knew his 
time had come he determined to sell his life dearly to his foes. He 
cut his horse's throat and made a breastwork of his body. Armed 
with his own and the weapons of his comrades, Brit fought with a 
skill and strength almost preternatural, killing and wounding many 
of his assailants before he was killed. The savage demons cut oflf 
his ears, one of his arms, disemboweled him, then killed and thrust 
in his little pet dog. This negro had made a brave fight; one hundred 
and seventy three empty cartridge shells were found lying around 
his dead body. 

This was only one of these red fiends' deeds. The whole frontier 
was stirred up again and determined to find a way to put a stop 
to this awful slaughter. In the movement to obtain protection I 
joined, and addressed several letters to prominent citizens in Austin, 
requesting their aid and assistance. Among these were John Hancock, 
Governor E. M. Pease and L. S. Ross, from whom I received the 
following replies : 

"Austin, Texas, June 3, 1871. 
" General A. R. Johnson, 

" Llano, Texas. 

*' My Dear Friend : — I am just in receipt of your letter and assure 
you that I am in deepest sympathy with you and the frontier people, 
and have written the President about the matter. I have a promise 
from him that an investigation will be made. 

"I have some hopes of being a member of Congress, and if 
these things are not adjusted by that time, I pledge you that my 
first and best efforts will be to induce the government to give pro- 
tection to our frontier. With best wishes for your safety, I am 

*' Your friend, 

"JOHN HANCOCK." 




ROCKY REST, 
First Home of Adam R. Johnson, Burnet, Texas, 1860. 



INDIAN RAIDS. 221 

"Austin, Texas, June IQ 1871. 
''A. R. Johnson, 

" Llano, Texas. 
" Dear Sir : — In reply to your letter will say that I have strong 
assurances that the government will at once take steps to investigate 
our frontier troubles. Your statement that up to this time you have 
never known a white man killed in Indian disguise has caused me 
to look into that matter, and I find no reason to believe the stories 
circulated to that effect are true. It is very difficult, however, to 
remove that impression from the U. S. Government, as they have 
the testimony of the sutlers and Indian traders that vicious white 
men are using that disguise to effect murders and thefts upon our 
people; therefore, you will have to be patient and await the investi- 
gation that is promised. Yours truly, 

" E. M. PEASE." 

"Waco, Texas, June 19, 1871. 
*' General A. R. Johnson, 

" Llano, Texas. 
" Dear Friend : — I have had many letters from prominent men 
along the frontier, urging me, as you do, to aid them in their great 
extremity. 1 am ready and willing to serve those people to the 
very best of my ability, under the circumstances; however, I am 
really not competent to advise what is best to be done. I have 
interviewed our representative and senator, and they assure me that 
as soon as the Legislature meets they will urge the formation of 
State troops for frontier protection. This, perhaps, is the best thing 
to be done, and I am willing to meet you and any others of our 
frontier people on that occasion and aid, if possible, in this matter. 

" Truly your friend, 

" L. S. ROSS." 

I showed these letters to my friends and bade them be patient 
until they saw what the government would do for their protection, 
and if it failed to help them, then they could act for themselves and 
form troops and try to stay on or leave the frontier, whichever they 
thought best. The excitement grew less and they decided to take 
my advice. 

Early in the summer of 1874 General W. T. Sherman, making 
a tour of inspection along the Texas frontier, arrived at Fort Sill. 



222 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

It happened that Sattanta, Big Tree and Satank, Kiowa chiefs, had 
come to the fort at the same time to draw rations, for as " wards 
of the nation " they and their tribe were fed by the government in 
the intervals of their incursions. Sattanta, in a talk with the agent, 
said, boastingly, that with one hundred warriors he and the two 
chiefs then present had recently made an attack upon the trains 
between Fort Richardson and Belknap, killing seven teamsters and 
driving off forty-one mules. The agent reported this to General 
Sherman, who ordered the Indians to be brought before him. 
Sattanta attempted to prevaricate, but finally admitted that the state- 
ment made to the agent was true, whereupon Sherman ordered the 
arrest of the whole party; but subsequently releasing the privates, 
he held the chiefs as prisoners with the view of having them tried 
for their offenses by the civil authorities of Texas. On the way to 
Jacksboro, Satank, attempting to escape, was killed by the escort, 
but Sattanta and Big Tree were landed in jail, heavily ironed. A 
day in July, at the term of the court ensuing, was fixed for their 
trial before Judge Seward, of the Thirtieth Judicial District at 
iWeatherford. They were the first and only Indian chiefs ever 
tried before a civil court in America. \A'hile they were vigorously 
prosecuted by the district attorney, the prisoners were ably defended 
by two prominent lawyers who were faithful to their clients. The 
jury rendered a verdict of '' guilty of murder in the first degree," 
and fixed their punishment at death. The sentence was commuted 
to imprisonment for life; and in 1873, the reconstruction governor 
of Texas, upon recommendation of the President of the United 
States, set them at liberty upon parole, and had them escorted to 
their reservation. As was expected by the frontiersmen, who knew 
the Indian character, they soon violated their paroles. Sattanta was 
rearrested and returned to the penitentiary, where, in a few years, 
he died. Big Tree was not recaptured. 

The object of rehearsing these Indian raids and murders on the 
frontier of Texas at this time is to emphasize the dangers that existed 
there, and to show that it required true courage, both of men and 
women to remain in their homes in this section; also that posterity 
may comprehend the hardships and trials that their forefathers had 
to encounter. 

The trial and punishment of Sattanta and Big Tree did not restrain 
the Indians, but seemed to influence them to greater deeds of cruelty. 
The political conditions of our State were such that we could not 



INDIAN RAIDS. 223 

liope for any protection from what we called the Reconstruction 
Administration; as they seemed to be much more inclined to elevate 
and protect the negro in his so-called " rights," than to care for the 
lives of the white people along the frontier. The whole State was 
now aroused and determined to throw olf this yoke. A convention 
was held at Corsicana, and Richard Coke was nominated for governor. 
He was elected by an overwhelming majority. 

The convening of the fourteenth Legislature and the effort of 
the reconstruction Governor Davis to hold over, and the rush of 
thousands of prominent men to Austin, resolved to seat Governor 
Coke at all hazards; the seizure of the arsenal and the filling of 
the lower story of the capital with armed negroes by Davis — was 
one of the most intensely exciting periods in the history of the 
Lone Star State. 

I was present on this occasion, and going to the capital with 
Colonel G. W. Jones, both of us carrying our old army six-shooters, 
we took our stand at the head of the stairs so that we could fire 
down into the basement where the armed negroes were gathered, 
but the conservative men, headed by Coke and Ireland, kept the 
peace, and Judge George Clake, of Waco, forcing his way through 
the negroes to the executive department where Davis was, showed 
him that the course he was pursuing would bring destruction to 
the negroes and he would share their fate. These representations 
induced him to give up the contest. Coke was installed, and the 
Legislature passed a bill authorizing the raising of a frontier 
battalion, and Major J. B. Jones was placed in command and sent 
at once to the border. 

The settlers were encouraged and made arrangements to aid in 
Treating back the Indians. The experience of General Sherman while 
reviewing the different posts among the Indians, and his narrow 
escapes from death from the hands of these treacherous savages, 
did much to aid our congressmen in obtaining protection for our 
frontier. The Indians were ordered not to cross Red river. Many 
small bands disobeying these orders were met by Major Jones, and 
in some nineteen engagements lost many of their best warriors. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



PEACE. 



Peace at last smiled upon these determined men and women of 
the border who had sp valiantly fought for their homes, and many 
who had left returned, bringing with them numbers of others to 
settle in these fertile valleys. Now, where the wigwams of the 
savages had been pitched, cozy little homes of the pale-faces were 
built, and the vast herds of buffalo were replaced by hundreds of 
cattle, prosperity and quiet reigning where destruction and war had 
been predominant. 

I disposed of my ranch and cattle and returned to Burnet, where 
I reopened a land oftice. My knowledge of the land not only here 
but all over western Texas enabled me to do a good business. 

The frontier and reconstruction troubles had seriously affected 
Burnet. The town was depleted; there were only two small stores^ 
which sold goods at such high prices that the settlers began to take 
their wagons and go to Austin to make purchases. I resolved to 
stop this extortion, and traded for a stock of goods. Employing- 
two young men as clerks, I instructed them to sell goods at such 
reasonable prices that people would trade in Burnet instead of • 
making a fifty-mile journey for supplies. 

A school, too, being much needed, I raised a subscription, built 
a stone schoolhouse and employed teachers. Both the school and 
the store proved a success, and the town soon showed marked 
improvement. A paper known as the " Western Texas Advertiser " 
was added to the list of my undertakings, and through the columns 
of this paper the healthfulness and resources of Burnet were made 

224 




COTTON FACTORY, MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS. 



PEACE. 225 

known. Recognizing the great value of the granite in Burnet county, 
I got Dr. Burleson, of Waco, a man of learning, to come down 
and examine Granite mountain. His report drew attention to the 
value of the stone. To utilize the stone for building and other pur- 
poses a railroad was absolutely necessary. I succeeded in interesting 
a party of capitalists, and although my own means were limited, I 
became the largest cash subscriber in the county and donated seven 
miles of right of way to the railroad company. The building of this 
railroad enabled the Capitol Commission later to use this stone in 
the construction of the beautiful capitol building now at Austin. 

Being a part owner in the property at Marble Falls, I resolved 
to open it up and in that way develop the resources of the county. 
I attribute much of the success in this Marble Falls undertaking to 
the public spirit and energy of my associates: 

B. Badger was a Confederate soldier, a member of Wall's Legion, 
and served under Van Dorn and Sol Ross in north Mississippi. 

F. H. Holloway was also a Confederate soldier in the same depart- 
ment. 

S. E. Holland was a Mexican war veteran, in Jack Hayes's band of 
Texas rangers. He settled in Texas in 1848, and has lived in Burnet 
county longer than any of its citizens. 

W. H. Badger is in business with his father and is one of the 
leading merchants in the county. 

J. A. Ramsdale was a '• Copper Head," or " Son of Liberty," and 
moved from Illinois to Texas soon after the war. His former home 
had been in the immediate neighborhood of General Payne, and 
he often tells of the elegant furniture, silverware and bric-a-brac that 
that notorious Federal general had stolen from the homes of the 
Southern people. 

Marble Falls is located in the central part of Texas, on the Colorado 
river, forty miles from Austin. The town is laid out on an elevated 
plateau that gradually rises from the river bank to the height of 
several hundred feet. Commencing at Marble Falls and extending 
northwest for over fifteen miles is Backbone valley, the largest 
valley north of Austin for a hundred miles, and as fertile as any 
spot in the State; while south and southwestward extends a beauti- 
ful and picturesque country composed of low hills, covered with 
groves of post oak, live oak and mountain cedar, and growing an 
abundance of mesquite grass, the best and most nutritious wild 
grass native to the State. The rich and well-watered valleys form 



226 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

the finest grazing land in the Slate, as well as fine farming and ranch 
country, while, perhaps, the best water power in the South is found 
in the great Marble Falls, Burnet county, Texas, where the Colorado 
river delivers itself from a beautiful, romantic lake two miles long, 
over immense granite ledges that span the entire river. The first three 
of these give a fall of twenty-one feet and furnish five thousand 
horse power at an average stage of water; fourteen other falls 
within a mile and a quarter aggregate fifty feet. All along on either 
side of the river are lovely situations for manufactories, so that 
the power can be reproduced time and again, as neither freshets, 
droughts nor freezes can affect it. Among the other important 
resources of Marble Falls are its granite, red and gray, variegated 
marbles, steatite and lithographic stone, red and gray sand-stone, 
which are found within a few miles of the town in vast quantities. 
The town is rapidly growing and can boast of a two-story granite 
bank, a college building, also of granite, M. H. Reed's large two-story 
store, Evans's two-story steel front hardware store. Badger's steel and 
glass front mercantile house, a large stone hotel, and last, but far 
from least, a two-story cotton-mill building, of which the town is 
very proud. The " Little Gem City " does more business than 
any other town of its size in the State, for it is blessed with a few 
public-spirited and enterprising men who have succeeded in keeping 
business going in the gloomiest times by utilizing the abundant 
growth of fine cedar along the banks of the Colorado; the railroad 
is kept busy supplying cars to ship out these posts, while tents are 
pitched in the brakes and wagons are continually on the road; the 
ring of numberless axes can be heard from morning till night as 
the trees are felled and prepared for shipment. 

In this busy little town, founded by me, and largely built by 
iny efforts, in the declining years of a life tempered by danger and 
sweetened by the uses of adversity, I am living with my family 
in happiness and in peace. 




MRS. ADAM R. JOHNSON. 



The Partisan Rangers. 



PART 



Sketches, Incidents and Adventures: Con- 
tributions by Confederate and 
Federal Officers. 

ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



227 




BRIGADIER GENERAL |ADAM R. JOHNSON. 



Field Officers of the Partisan Rangers. 



GENERAL ADAM R. JOHNSON. 

By E. L. Starling (Colonel Regiment, Federal Army). 

My affectionate regard for the distinguished man whose name 
"will be observed at the beginning of this brief sketch was not in 
the least diminished by the overthrow of the great cause for which 
he fought and contributed the better part of his life. Without 
concern for his own comfort or personal safety, he dared every 
danger, and in the brief period allotted him, achieved a reputation 
for intelligent and valued daring in the interest of the cause of the 
Southland, than many, mora fortunately situated than he, ever attain- 
ed throughout the whole sanguinary conflict of arms. On the contrary 
the interest felt in his exploits by those who labored and suffered 
with him and those who knew him in his childhood days is yet a 
living evidence of his consummate genius and prowess. My knowl- 
edge of General Johnson from his boyhood days to the present 
time constitutes the motive I have for supplying this exordium, and 
this I trust will subserve to place at rest the very natural question 
what right or what purpose I may have to claim qualification for 
the task I have assumed. The task has been one of my own seeking, 
simply a desire to portray and vindicate, as far as I am able, his 
military record, that his countrymen may cherish it as a yet living 
recollection of a life fraught with dangers at all times and a daring 
unsurpassed by any. I am fully aware of the undertaking and its 

229 



230 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

muliiplied cliftlculties. I am further aware that perfection was never 
the privilege of any man in any of his work; therefore, I am pre- 
pared to learn from criticisms of others that my work has not been 
wholly successful. Especially would I declare that in relating the 
share borne by the subject of this sketch in. his campaigns in this 
particular portion of Kentucky, I am actuated alone by a cordial 
and friendly desire, not only to do simple justice, but to align myself 
closely with one of his most prominent characteristics — " scrupulous 
truthfulness." It has often been said that contemporaries can not 
write impartial histories because of their too partial sympathy for 
the passions which governed and agitated the actors. This I shall 
not undertake to deny, but when it is known that I was never a 
military comrade of General Johnson, but wore the blue and fought 
beneath the graceful folds of the stars and stripes it may — and 
will no doubt — be thought strange by many that I should undertake 
the work of contributing to a history intended to do justice to a 
noble man, a true friend, and a military chieftan with but few 
peers. 

It was my pleasure years ago to tax my limited and undisciplined 
capacity in the preparation of a history covering the entire life of 
General Johnson, but adverse circumstances confronted and pre- 
vented its appearance in book form. This great disappointment 
is, in a measure, appeased by the opportunity now offered to con- 
tribute briefly my testimony to a friend who has been the victim 
of abuse from many who owed him much for the protecting influence 
it was his pleasure to throw around them during a period in the 
history of this section, of the country that tried men's souls to the 
utmost limit. 

Adam R. Johnson's mother, Juliet Rankin Johnson, was a native 
of Henderson, having been born in 1800. She grew up among the 
pioneers and was notedly one of the purest and most popular women 
of her day. She impressed upon her son the noble characteristics that 
so adorned her life, and he would have proven himself a strange 
offspring indeed had he strayed away from the teachings of this 
truly holy mother in the exciting scenes of frontier life in Texas, or 
in the even mpre strenuous times of the war in which he took so 
conspicuous a part. While he was throughout his military career 
a thorough-going partisan, fully determined upon doing his duty 
to his beloved Southland, detesting her enemies as he conceived 
them to be, he yet held in reverence the impressions made by his 



FIELD OFFICERS. 231 

saintly mother, and as far as in his power, endeavored to impress 
"the same characteristics upon the men under his command. He 
abhorred the mistreatment of a non-combatant citizen, and only 
when dire necessity demanded did he ever give them reason to 
criticise his acts harshly. In the collection of supplies he oftentimies 
made levy upon his friends and the true friends of the Southern cause 
rather than impose upon those who held allegiance to the Union. 
Hundreds of instances in this particular section of the country can 
be cited to bear evidence to the truthfulness of the statement. Notwith- 
standing the many outrages committed by commands in the service of 
the enemy. General Johnson did not consider their acts a justification 
of a similar retaliation upon the part of his command upon Union 
sympathizers who had no part in the acts committed by troops in the 
service of the Federal government. He gloried in a fight and was 
never known to shirk one, even when the odds were greatly against 
liim. He was never known to shun a duty, no matter how danger- 
ous or daring, and in numerous instances he was known to undertake 
the most dangerous escapades rather than impose the duty upon 
an under officer or soldier of his command. His object appeared 
to be to make friends rather than enemies, and though positive and 
determined in his every act or order, he leaned to the humane side 
if the situation in the least justified it. It was far from his purpose to 
punish an inoffensive, non-combatant Union sympathizer for the 
act or acts of some satrap in the ranks of the Union army. Many 
outrages were committed by outlaws, and the effort was as fre- 
quently made to impress communities with the belief that Johnson 
and his command were the real offenders, but investigation by his 
non-combatant enemies, as well as by his friends, proved him inno- 
cent. He was known to punish offenders within his own command 
and other so-called Confederate commands, with as much severity 
as he did those of the opposing commands. 

Incidents in his military career about Henderson and contiguous 
territory fully bear out this statement, notably, the influence he 
exerted in the capture and turning over to the Federal authorities 
men captured and charged with some outrage while claiming to have 
been in the Confederate service and acting under authority. He 
detested guerrilla service, and those known as guerrillas, and to 
his active and well-known opposition this country owes a debt of 
gratitude for much that was never done, but would have been done 
but for his interference and his well-known opposition. Much of 



.232 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

his time was given to the ridding of the country of such characters 
and placing the service of the Confederacy upon a high plane, and 
yet the acts of many bad men claiming to be Federals and others 
claiming to be Confederates were most cruelly and without decency 
charged by Union nev^^spapers and some Union men to him and 
his command, when the slightest investigation on their part would 
have proved him not only innocent, but as much opposed to the out- 
rages committed as they themselves could have been. He was not of 
the class who claimed that all things are fair in war ; on the contrary 
(unless compelled by attending conditions) , he beheved in fair 
dealing with non-combatants. He held the man or men in uniform 
and gun in hand in a totally different light from the non-combatant 
as bitterly opposed to him as the soldier in the service. He knew 
the price that was put upon his life, and he well knew what would 
be the result were he surprised by the enemy. He knew the opinion 
had of him, and how unjustly and undeservedly the enemy had been 
taught to consider him. Newspapers with no regard for the truth 
had misrepresented him; they had created the impression that he 
was a roaming guerrilla, with no end in view but murder, rapine 
and theft, and had lost no opportunity in the endeavor to impress this 
most false and unworthy impression upon the minds of every one 
not acquainted with the nobler attributes of his nature. Their course 
was calculated to drive a far less chivalrous nature to deeds of horrid 
violence. Their determined pursuit of his character as well as his 
person was in every way calculated to drive him mad and make 
of him a demon rather than the true soldier that he was. He was 
upon his native heath, the home of his nativity, among the friends 
of his childhood. He felt that he had a right to be here. His 
purpose was to recruit men into the service, and to do this quietly 
and without doing harm to any one. It was not' his purpose to 
involve his country or his friends in a war, but to transact his work 
quietly, and decamp. But this course was denied him by meddlers 
and mischief-makers who persisted in giving him a false name and 
his mission an altogether false impression. To this end, therefore, 
the Government was appealed to and hundreds of troops commanded 
by men little caring what they did, and with no regard for the 
higher or nobler attributes of manhood, were sent to the State to 
hunt him as they would a wild beast bent on devouring the land. 
His command, in a very large measure, was composed of young' 
Kentucklans like himself — young men who had been correctly 




CAPTAIN JOHN BROOKS, 

Aid-de-camp General Johnson's Staff. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 233 

reared and total strangers to any act that would smack of inhuman- 
ity to man or the wholesale robbery of their friends and acquaint- 
ances. They were men like himself, who enjoyed the countenance 
and esteem of the communities in which they were reared, and yet, 
notwithstanding all this, Johnson and his command were given the 
credit for all that was done by interlopers and bad men who had 
associated together without authority from any source save that 
emanating from their own wicked desires. The opportunity for 
theft in many ways was great, and bad men stood ready to take 
advantage of the situation, and for the acts of all such, Johnson's 
command was given much of the odium attaching to such conduct. 
Thus it was, he was not only forced to fight his own battles, but 
compelled to withstand or else combat the influence of combines 
who were thieving and committing other outlawries under the 
pretense of being members of his command. Thus it will be seen 
that his time spent in Kentucky was hedged in on all sides by a 
multitude of opposing conditions well calculated to drive a com- 
manding officer to extremes and yet through it all he exercised the 
most complete control of his temper, and when wounded and in- 
capacitated for further service, was in the zenith of his glory, com- 
manding not alone the admiration of Confederates in the highest 
authority, but the people of that portion of Kentucky through which 
he had campaigned. 

At the age of twenty General Johnson's disposition for wild ad- 
venture induced him to give up his Kentucky home and go to 
Texas, where he settled in what was then known as Hamilton valley, 
at that time the extreme frontier settlement. He soon after asso- 
ciated himself with a surveying party, and in the pursuit of his 
duties became engaged in frequent rencounters with the Indians, who 
were then in large numbers. He was compelled to exercise the 
greatest care, precaution and strategy to preserve not only the safety 
of his companions, but his own life also. The keenest vigilance 
which he found so absolutely essential soon became a second nature 
with him, and it was in this school that he learned the lesson which 
in the days of the great war between the States proved so valuable 
to him while acting in the capacity of scout or partisan ranger. His 
entire frontier life up to and including a part of the war was replete 
with the wildest and most daring adventure, showing him to have 
been a man of great intelligence and unlimited nerve and courage. 

General Johnson was of the greatest service at the battle of Fort 



234 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Donelson and the Corinth Campaign subsequent to the battle of 
Shiloh; commanded a brigade with Morgan in his Indiana and Ohio 
raid and escaped at Buffmgton Island by swimming the Ohio river, 
while a large majority of Morgan's men, including that chieftain, 
were captured. On coming to this immediate section of Kentucky, 
in the effort to increase the depleted ranks of the Confederate army, 
he necessarily created much excitement among the Union men, and 
they, of course, left no stone unturned to have him driven from the 
country. He fought a number of battles of minor importance, and 
was generally successful in carrying his point. The Indiana border 
was aroused to a pitch of absolute fright, possibly never known by 
any community. Evansville, a city of twenty-five or thirty thousand 
population, was kept guarded by soldiery and gunboats, and not- 
withstanding Johnson had but a handful of men to contend with 
this superior force backed by the Government, the Evansville news- 
papers displayed at all times an alarm that was amazing. 

The capture of Newburg by Johnson and a dozen or more men 
set the Indiana border from Evansville to New Albany afire with 
excitement. At Newburg the Confederates crossed the Ohio river 
in midday by the use of skiffs, scows and old boats, in the face of 
a population of fifteen hundred citizens, including one hundred and 
eighty soldiers in hospital, a majority of whom were able for light 
duty. Johnson, with one or two men, captured the hospital, paroled 
the soldiers, and removed one hundred or more stand of arms to the 
river, and had them successfully ferried across to the Kentucky side. 
Steamboats loaded with soldiers and conveyed by a gunboat were 
hurried from Evansville to Newburg to reinforce a command of 
home guards rushed in from the country to drive away or capture 
Johnson and a dozen or more men who had recrossed the river 
and were lying in wait at the mouth of Green river for the trans- 
ports and gunboats. It was the first time the great State of Indiana 
had been invaded by the enemy, and the disgrace was well nigh 
unbearable; especially so when it was discovered that a community 
of fifteen hundred or more, together with near two hundred soldiers 
splendidly armed, had unconditionally surrendered to General Adam 
Johnson and a couple of dozen men armed with shotguns, and requir- 
ed to cross and recross the Ohio river in broad daylight in skiffs and 
ill-conditioned little boats. The little band of Confederate braves had 
scarcely recrossed the Ohio when a mountain of dust rising from 
the main thoroughfares leading into the town of Newburg indicated 



FIELD OFFICERS. 235 

the appearance of a hastily-organized army of countrymen armed 
to the teeth en route to drive Johnson and his men from Indiana's 
sacred soil. They quickly arrived in the town and were soon upon 
the river bank, but the birds had flown and it was left them to 
wreak their vengeance upon a few non-combatants who were 
accused of meeting the Confederates with an approving smile and 
aiding them in the work they had done. How different was the 
treatment of these men as compared with that of Union men and 
soldiers by Johnson and his men! Johnson treated the citizens with 
the utmuit civility, and yet he knew that the greatest precaution 
must be exercised for there were non-combatants around and about 
who would have assassinated him and his men in a moment but for 
the fear they had of impending consequences. These men were 
known, but were civilly treated, and yet after his departure and the 
arrival of the motley aggregation from the country into the town, 
two men who had been pressed into service by Johnon were brutally 
shot down in the streets while a number of others were arrested 
and transported to Evansville as prisoners of war. This treatment 
of men accused of being rebel sympathizers was declared to be all 
right by the Republican newspapers, but the action of Johnson and 
his men for invading the State was denounced in the most brutal 
language to be employed. They were denominated thieves, 
marauders, murderers, assassins, and a regiment was sent forth- 
with to capture or kill the last one of them. 

Just prior to the capture of Newburg General Johnson had 
received the surrender of Henderson, and for a day had control of 
the city. It was during this time, by his words and orders the 
anxiety of the citizens were greatly relieved; especially were those 
who were politically opposed to him. He assured a committee of 
citizens who had gone out from the city to meet him that his orders 
were positive as to the treatment of citizens. He had not come to 
wage war upon non-combatants because of their political opinions, 
but only upon those who were combatant enemies of the cause for 
which he had left his home-circle and sacrificed his business. He 
proposed to disturb none but those who were in actual warfare 
against the Confederacy. He entered the city and faithfully kept 
every promise he had made the citizens' committee. He stood upon 
his native heath a conqueror, bold and fearless, and it was for him 
alone to indicate by word and order what his policy should be. His 
spirit lost none of that grand and resplendent evidence of honest 



236 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

blood and noble purpose imparted by his sainted mother, and it 
was not for him to violate any of those teachings so sacred to his 
heart. His orders were conciliatory, temperate and just, and upon 
his assurances many professed Union men, who, dreading his 
approach, had fled to Indiana, recrossed the river and admitted him 
to be a soldier of liberal, congenial, honest, humane motives instead 
of the wild uncultured, heartless desperado pictured by Republican 
newspapers and others who could not find it within the limit of 
their narrow consciences to do him even partial justice. Governor 
Archibald Dixon and other leading and influential citizens, unflinch- 
ing in their adhesion to the Union, and unqualifiedly in favor of 
the suppression of the rebellion, were callers at his headquarters, 
and were received by him with the utmost cordiality and treated 
as though they were among his warmest and most trusted political 
friends. As a sample of the fairness accorded him by the Republican 
newspapers, the following, printed in the columns of the Evansville 
Journal at the time, is here reproduced: 

"the rebel flag IX HENDERSON. 

" By the arrival of two citizens from Henderson yesterday noon^ 
we have reliable information that the guerrillas entered that place 
yesterday morning in considerable force and hoisted the rebel flag^ 
on the court house and hotel. It was stated that they had thrown 
pickets across the river, but this is doubted. One thing is certain — 
that the people of Indiana will not allow our State to be invaded 
for a moment. Later — A gentleman arrived from Henderson last 
evening and says the town is occupied by about forty guerrillas who 
seem to be enjoying themselves very greatly. He says the citizens 
of Henderson cheered them as they entered the town, and they were 
treated with great consideration by many citizens. At latest account 
Honorable Arch. Dixon and others were negotiating with Colonel 
Johnson to have the guerrillas withdrawn from the town." 

It will be observed that the command was denominated as guer- 
rillas ; nevertheless, it was a regular authorized body of Confederates. 
On reading the foregoing article in the Evansville paper. Colonel 
Johnson was impressed with the force of the following sentence: 
" One thing is certain — that the people of Indiana will not allow 
our State to be invaded for a moment." He thereupon determined 
upon the Newburg raid, and for the inception of that daring visita- 
tion, the Evansville paper is entitled to all of the credit. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 237 

In passing out of Henderson en route to Newburg, the evening 
cf the first night was spent in camp on the farm of Mr. William 
Soaper, a mile or more out on the Owensboro road. Adjoining 
Mr. Soaper was the farm of E. W. Worsham. Mr. Soaper was 
known as a conservative Union man, while Mr. Worsham was 
regarded as a conservative sympathizer with the South. It was 
necessary to feed the horses of the command, and upon that a 
question presented itself that was decided in keeping with all that 
Colonel Johnson had promised. By the decision additional evidence 
of the integrity and honesty of purpose on the part of Colonel 
Johnson was made still more manifest. The camp had been pitched 
upon Mr. Soaper's farm and its owner was a man of great wealth 
for those days. He was not a Confederate sympathizer, and with 
most commanding officers it would have been decided to impress 
what was needed from the Soaper farm to feed the men and stock; 
but not so. So anxious was Colonel Johnson to do the fair thing, 
to do nothing that might be construed into a disposition to oppress 
or inflict punishment upon one who differed honestly in his political 
opinions from him and the cause represented by him, he requested 
Mr. Worsham, at whose house he was making his headquarters for 
the time being, to call upon Mr. Soaper the next morning and obtain 
from him a statement of the provender taken from his farm and to 
remunerate him in any amount that might be agreed on between the 
two, and then to report his acts to him. Mr. Worsham did as 
requested, and, as might have been expected, Mr. Soaper declined 
to make any charge for the provender required. 

There are hundreds of instances of honest dealing and fair treat- 
ment of citizens by Colonel Johnson, and yet no man was more 
unjustly abused by his enemies, and that, too, in the face of evidence 
easily attained, but not desired, because of the injury it would have 
been to the purposes in view in maligning him. He was held 
responsible for the acts of unauthorized and irresponsible bands of 
men, many of whom were known to have been deserters from the 
Federal army, and more afraid of Johnson than they were of the 
army they had deserted, and whose acts would have been visited 
by the severest punishment had they been captured. No officer 
was ever more unfairly treated by his enemies, non-combatant and 
in regular line. 



238 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

THE NEWBURG VICTORY. 

The fruits of the victory achieved at Newburg when summed up 
showed the capture and paroling of one hundred and eighty 
prisoners, the capture of three hundred stand of arms, an immense 
supply of medical stores and ammunition, to which was added the 
prestige of being the first Confederate command that ever dared 
to invade the free soil of a State north of the Ohio river. Insig- 
nificant as this brilliant achievement may now appear, it never- 
theless at the time made a very decided impression upon the press 
of this as well as foreign lands. The London Times, in a lengthy 
article, acknowledged the capture of the great tobacco port of 
Henderson, Kentucky, the subsequent capture of an important town 
north of the Ohio river — in all, conceded to be a very decided 
Confederate success. The following account of the capture of 
Newburg appeared in the Evansville Journal of July 18, 1862, which 
gives a fair idea of the intense excitement produced by Colonel 
Johnson and his handful of men in the capture of the Indiana town : 

"guerrilla raid into INDIANA* 



"A. R. Johnson's Cavalry. The Hospital Plundered. 
The Legion Under Arms. Great 
Excitement. 



" About three o'clock yesterday afternoon our city was thrown 
into great excitement by the arrival of a messenger from Newburg 
with the intelligence that a squad of forty of A. R. Johnson's 
marauders had crossed the river at Newburg and plundered the 
hospital at that place. The signal of danger was at once given, and 
in less than one hour one thousand men were under arms, and 
cannon went rattling through our streets. The city, which has been 
in a lamentable state of torpor for months was thoroughly aroused, 
and every man who could get a musket, rifle, shotgun or revolver 
was at once under arms, and hundreds more were eagerly seeking 
weapons for aggression or for defense. The alacrity with which 
the citizens responded gave most cheering evidence that when con- 
vinced of danger our people are equal to any emergency. A com- 
pany of infantry, together with a squad of artillery, with two guns, 
were taken on board the steamboat 'Eugene' at 6:30 o'clock for 
the scene of the trouble. Captain Dexter had the steamer ' Courier ' 



FIELD OFFICERS. 239 

fired up with all possible dispatch, and having armed his crew, and 
with a squad of infantry, steamed off up the river. He was fearfully 
in earnest and declared his determination to prevent the rebels from 
recrossing- the river if they were found on this side, and to use the 
' Courier ' as a ram in case of need. The saucy little steamer went out 
flying light and running for glory. The' Eugene ' made excellent time 
also, and with guns on each guard and decks crowded with men, 
made a formidable appearance. We learn that the chivalrous horde 
who make war on sick soldiers in unguarded hospitals, did not 
tarry long in Newburg, but skulked back across the river after they 
had stolen what they could. A Union soldier arrived from Newburg 
and says the rebels number thirty-two men. They stole all the arms 
and equipments to be found, a lot of provisions, paroled all of the 
Union soldiers in the hospital, stole a wagon and two horses, and 
then recrossed the river. Two men, residents of Newburg, who 
were notorious secesh sympathizers and who came lOver the river 
with the guerrillas and remained when the latter returned, were 
shot down and killed by a citizen. Their names were Carney and 
Mefford. The ' Courier ' returned at nine o'clock and reported that 
she proceeded to the mouth of Green river, where she found the 
boat in which the marauders had crossed the river, and which they 
took possession of. A man on the point dressed in a red shirt 
stepped out of the brush and fired on the boat with a shotgun,, 
wounding one of the hands on the boat slightly. The boys on 
the boat fired into the brush, but with what effect is not known. 
They took one man prisoner, whom they handed over to the 
' Eugene.' The ' Courier ' having performed her mission, returned 
to the city. The ' Eugene ' proceeded on to Newburg. It is said 
that the rebels had four pieces of artillery planted on the Kentucky 
shore. If this is so and they remain there until the ' Eugene ' arrived, 
there would be somebody hurt, sure, as our boys went up to rid 
the world of all such cowardly thieves as those who rob hospitals. 

"Several reports of artillery were heard about eight o'clock,, 
since which time all has been quiet. Evansville is full of armed men,, 
and an earnest spirit prevails. It is supposed the guerrillas got some 
two hundred guns and paroled about eighty-five sick soldiers. They 
occupied the town some three or four hours. The citizens watched 
the guerrillas crossing the river and, strange as it may seem, offered 
not the slightest resistance. 

" By the steamer ' Eugene,' which returned from Newburg Sat- 



240 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

urday morning about two o'clock, we gather the following particulars 
in addition to those published in Saturday's Journal: The steamer 
'' Eugene,' with two companies of convalescent soldiers and a section 
of the Union artillery, left, as stated in Saturday's Journal, about 5 :30 
o'clock, preceded by the ' Courier ' and ' Commercial' On coming 
in sight of Green river, the ' Courier ' and * Commercial ' were 
discovered ' lying to ' and soon a jet of smoke from a little swivel 
on the ' Courier's ' forecastle indicated that she was firing at some 
object on shore. The ' Eugene ' ran up Green river about a mile 
and landed one of the companies, who were deployed across the 
narrow peninsula between the two rivers as skirmishers, but the 
birds had flown. The ferryman, whose wife informed our boys 
that he was a ' States rights ' man, was arrested, and his flats, etc., 
placed in charge of the ' Courier,' which returned to the city, while 
the ' Eugene ' went on to Newburg. On arriving at Newburg, it 
was found to be nearly filled with well-armed, resolute men, who 
had flocked in from the surrounding country to drive the marauders 
from the State. Colonel John W. Foster, after a short consultation 
with some of the citizens who had been robbed by the marauders, 
immediately passed over the river with the ' Eugene ' and took 
possession of all the flats and skiffs that he could discover on the 
Kentucky side. Some were scuttled and others brought to Newburg. 
We then made careful inquiry of several of the citizens of the town, 
who gave us the particulars of their humiliation, as follows: 

*' Several citizens of the town, it is supposed have been in com- 
munication with the guerrillas for many days. Indeed, five men 
heretofore living in Newburg are known to have joined the rebels. 
Their names are Robt. Slaughter, Wm. Lukin, Andy Meft'ord, Jim 
O'Connell, Chas. Applegate. They are outlaws, and every citizen 
is justifiable is shooting them down wherever and whenever he 
comes across them. The guerrillas were thoroughly posted, both 
as to the defenseless condition of the town and the carelessness of 
its inhabitants. On Thursday one of the two men who was shot 
(we think it was Mefford), who had been absent for several days, 
returned. On, Friday he went across the river and held a consultation 
with Johnson and his pirate gang. About noon on Friday, when 
most of the citizens were away from the landing and at their dinners, 
the marauders placed themselves in the ferry boat, concealing 
themselves as well as possible, and rowed rapidly across the river. 
On landing in Newburg, a dash was made for the hospital, and the 



FIELD OFFICERS. 241 

arms found there secured. Pickets and guards were thrown out 
in every direction, and the citizens- given to understand that their 
only chance of safety was in keeping quiet. Johnson, the leader 
of the precious pack of thieves, informed the citizens that he had 
a battery planted on the opposite side of the river, and if any 
resistance was made to his demands he would immediately shell 
and destroy the place. The fellow is as proficient in lying as well 
as stealing. With cool audacity, the leader of the gang of 'free- 
booters ' then made out paroles of honor for all the soldiers in the 
hospital which he signed as ' A. R. Johnson, C. S. A.' Meanwhile 
his men, guided by some of the citizens of the town, commenced 
pillaging. Horses were taken out of their stables, dwellings en- 
tered and searched, the hospital was ransacked and everything 
calculated to be of any service to them was appropriated. The doors 
of the dwelling of Mr. Union Bethel were broken open and the 
whole house ransacked. The horses of several from the country 
were pointed out and taken. In one stable the free-booters were 
on the point of taking all the horses, when one was pointed out 
to them as the property of Jesse Fuller, of Boonville, which was 
passed, the scoundrels remarking that ' Jesse was all right.' Several 
of the citizens of the town mingled freely with Johnson and his 
gang, drank with them, and seemed highly gratified in having made 
their acquaintance. As some of these men are under arrest, it may 
be proper not to criticise their conduct too severely just at present. 
After remaining in the town four or five hours the free-booters 
departed with their ill-gotten gains. Andrew Huston, a resident of 
Newburg, helped to ferry the scoundrels across the river, and was 
very busy in carrying arms that they had stolen from the hospital 
to the boat. He was arrested by Colonel Foster and brought to 
this city. 

" After the robbers had departed, tAvo of the citizens, H. H. 
Carney and Elliott Meiford, who had been particularly active in 
pointing out property for seizure, were attacked by some of the 
citizens. Carney was shot dead in the street and left lying there 
for several hours. He afterwards was thrown into a wagon. Meflford 
was shot and bayoneted, but not killed. We learn that he was shot 
again on Saturday morning and killed. One or two others who 
were .suspected of sympathizing with the rebels to the extent of 
giving them aid and comfort, narrowly escaped with their lives 
trom the exasperated citizens. Old Warrick county was ablaze; 



242 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

from every part of the county the yeomanry came pouring into 
the town, and by nine o'clock in the evening six hundred or seven, 
hundred armed men had arrived. The ' Eugene ' left at twelve o'clock, 
having on board the following prisoners: Andrew Huston, SoL 
Koker, John Husk, Wm. Lee, Joseph Fuller and Geo. Wayes. These 
men will be disposed of as Governor Morton may direct." 

The Evansville Journal of July 21, 1862, contained the following 
very remakable editorirJ production: 



" The cowardly raid committed by A. R. Johnson, who is 
ashamed to append his title to his signature, and his gang of thieves 
upon the hospital at Newburg has aroused our people to a degree 
never equalled. The sturdy yeomanry of Warrick county, as soon 
as they heard of the cowardly thieving operations of this bold 
proclaimer, who sedulously avoids meeting armed men, rushed to 
arms with an impetuosity that manifested how ready Indianians 
were to meet and resent an insult or an outrage, and we much 
mistake the temper of our citizens and of the people at large if the 
most terrible retribution is not speedily wreaked upon the bandit 
horde. Even savages and barbarians would scorn to make war 
on sick and defenseless men • and rob hospitals, but this vapid 
boaster and chief of hospital robbers seems to have no stomach but 
for such barbarous deeds. Why don't he come to Evansville? 
He knows he would meet such a reception as would send his soul 
reeking with murder and robbery to the regions of the arch fiend, 
his master. His name and that of his gang are in the possession of 
the people, and unless they beget themselves speedily to a safe 
place far beyond the borders of Kentucky or Tennessee, they may 
as well make their wills and take farewells of their families. 

'The decree has gone forth in Indiana that the cowardly outrage 
at Newburg must be wiped out with traitors' blood. The Hoosiers 
are aroused and their vengeance is terrible." 

The humiliation experienced by the people oi Indiana over the cap- 
ture of Newburg was more than terrible, and may have offered the 
Evansville Journal and other Union newspapers an excuse for indulg- 
ing in the vitriolic language, the foregoing of which is a fair sample. 
General Johnson and a dozen more men in midday crossed the Ohio^ 
river in badly conditioned skiffs and little boats of one kind and 
another, captured a town containing a citizenship of fully one 



FIELD OFFICERS. 243 

thousand men, together with eighty-five or more sick and convales- 
cent soldiers splendidly armed, and two hundred stand of arms and 
an abundance of ammunition close by without firing a gun. The 
battery of artillery planted on the Kentucky shore, its gun pointed 
at the town and threatening its destruction, was nothing more 
nor less than an old charred log placed on the wheels of a dilap- 
idated two-horse wagon and a stovepipe similarly mounted. As 
an evidence of the fright under which the Indianians labored at the 
sight of Johnson's battery, it may be cited that there was not one 
who even thought of bringing to bear an opera or spyglass, by the 
use of which the genuineness of the battery could have been es- 
tablished in ten seconds, and the real strength of the command 
exposed. In the face of all the facts associated with this, the most 
courageously daring and utter disregard of the safety of himself 
and his little band of fearless troopers, Colonel Johnson and his 
men were denounced as cowards by the Evansville Journal and 
other mediums for the dissemination of news, while citizens, home 
guards and Colonel John VV. Foster, with three steamboats and 
soldiers convoyed by a gunboat with abundant artillery sent to whip 
twenty or more men armed with shot guns, v/ere lauded to the skies 
as courageous heroes, totally ignorant of fear. 

Johnson was denounced as a heartless knave, a thief, a poltroon, 
a robber of the sick, because, forsooth, taking his life in hand 
he went in person to a hospital filled with Federal soldiers, a 
majority of whom were amply able to load a gun and fire, and 
reload and fire again, with hundreds of guns and ammunition in 
great abundance close at hand, and demand their surrender 
together with all of the government supplies in store in the building. 
For three or four hours his men were engaged in removing the 
captured guns and government supplies to his little boats at the 
river, and never an effort was made to prevent. The mounted 
wooden cannon on the Kentucky bank had demoralized the whole 
town for four or five hours and no effort was made to discover its 
character or the possible damage it might inflict. Not a citizen 
or non-combatant in Newburg on that day was subjected to insult 
or personal injury by Johnson or his men, but in return for his 
kindly and most conservative course, he had scarcely recrossed Green 
river and out of hearing of the Comanche yells of the approach- 
ing home guards rushing in from the country contiguous to Newburg, 
men who had been impressed into service by Colonel Johnson 



244 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

were spotted, denounced as rebel S3^mpathizers, and two were shot 
and killed most brutally, while a number of others were placed 
under arrest and forcibly carried from their homes prisoners of 
war. Patriots, model heroes, courageous hearts were these men, 
while Colonel Johnson who had executed a deed of daring un- 
paralleled throughout the war was denounced as a coward, a thief, 
a poltroon, a robber, and so on, ad infinitum, and that, too, in 
face of the pronounced fact that the war he made was upon 
combatants and government property and not upon private citizens 
and what they possessed. I have dwelt at a greater extent, 
perhaps, than the demands require in the matter of the capture 
of Newburg, but it was done to conserve the purpose of showing 
how mercilessly and unjustly Colonel Johnson and his men were 
abused by non-combatant enemies who owed him better treatment. 
He was never immune to that character of misrepresentation and 
abuse, no matter how honestly he observed the announcements made 
by him on his visit into Kentucky, concerning his treatment of those 
people, in order that the present and following generation may know 
more accurately of his object and aim in coming into Kentucky so 
early after the outbreaking of the rebellion. When it is considered that 
Colonel Johnson, at the time of tiie capture of Newburg was only 
twenty-six years of age and had for several years been engaged ia 
fighting Indians on the Texas frontier, it was very greatly to his 
credit that he retained such excellent control of himself. Especially 
is this true when we consider the relentless fury with which he \^'as 
hunted and pursued, and the bitter and most determined abuse, 
misrepresentation and other unwarranted treatment he and his 
command were subjected to by those opposing him. It is more 
of a wonder that he had not been driven to a condition of des- 
peration and had determined upon a war with the black flag as 
his emblem. Contrary, however, while secreted in the chaparral 
of a farm near Henderson, he wrote a conciliatory proclamation 
which had no difficulty in getting into print. 

ANOTHER EXCITING INCIDENT. 

One of the most exciting and at the same time most overdrawn 
and unreliable statements of the conditions connected with it, was 
the attack made on the last Sunday night in June, 1862, by Colonel. 
Johnson, Bob Martin and Amplias Owen, calling themselves 
"The Breckinridge Guards," on what was then known as the 



FIELD OFFICERS. 245 

Central Hotel, a double brick house located on the east side of Main 
street between Fourth and Fifth and occupied by a company of sol- 
diers under command of Captain Daly. These troops had been 
sent to Henderson a few days prior to the attack made, for a 
purpose, it is needless to mention just now. Johnson, Martin and 
Owen at that time were endeavoring to increase their numbers 
and were in the vicinity of Slaughtersville where information was 
sent them of the arrival in Henderson of Captain Daly's command. 
A council of war was held and the three men determined to proceed 
with all possible dispatch to Henderson and make a night attack 
with their shotguns upon the troops camped in the hotel. This 
they did, firing from the opposite side of the street into the soldiers 
sitting about on the front pavement and inside the building. At 
the first fire there was a rush made by those on the outside for 
the inside of the house and the doors and windows were immediately 
fastened. The three Confederates then moved to the old cemetery 
in the rear of the hotel, and finding the soldiers safely housed 
they returned to their horses and galloped out of town. The 
following account of the attack made by the three men named 
appeared in the Evansville Journal of July 1st, the day following 
the attack, and shows what reckless disregard newspaper writers 
of that day and time had for the truthful statement of facts so 
easily to have been secured. The Journal's report, headlines and 
all, is here reproduced : 

* 

''war ox THE BORDER, 



Bloody Fight at Henderson, Ky. Guerrillas Attack the Provost 
Guards. Federal Loss, One Killed, Eleven Wounded. 
Rebel Loss Not Ascertained. The Guer- 
rillas Driven Off. 

. " At ten o'clock on Sunday night, an attack was made on a com- 
pany of provost guards stationed in Henderson under aommand of 
Captain Daly, by a party of guerrillas supposed to number one 
hundred and fifty men. On Sunday the provost guard had 
arrested a notorious rebel guerrilla, named Griffin, and had him 
confined in the National Hotel which was occupied as quarters by 
Captain Daly and his company. An attack was anticipated and 
Captain Daly was keeping a careful lookout for it. A short time 



246 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

before the attack was made the captain with one of his men made 
a reconnoissance, when they discovered men skulking up back alleys 
and behind board fences armed with shotguns. Captain Daly then 
returned to the hotel, aroused his men and ordered them to lie 
on their arms ready to resist an attack, and then sat do\vn in the 
door to watch the movements of the rebels. He had scarcely 
seated himself when a volley was fired and the captain and one 
or two other men were wounded. The fight at once became 
warm. Captain Daly sprang to his feet to rally and encourage 
his men when he received a second wound and a third. His men 
fought well and to the best advantage they could under the cir- 
cumstances, and finally succeeded in driving the guerrillas off. 
During the fight Captain Daly received three ugly wounds, seven 
buckshot striking him in ' his left leg below the knee, three balls 
passing through and four lodging in his leg. He also received 
two or three balls in his right leg and one in his arm, Lieutenant 
Tyler, second in command, was pierced by six balls and died in 
about half an hour. Second Lieutenant Daly, brother to the 
captain, received an ugly wound in his right leg below the knee. 
Nine others of the provost guard were wounded more or less 
severely. The loss of the rebels can not be ascertained. Numbers 
were seen to fall and one was heard to exclaim that he was killed. 
Several pools of blood were found and evidence manifest where 
killed or wounded men had been dragged away. It is thought that 
four or five of the guerrillas were killed and several wounded. A 
number of convalescent soldiers of the hospital were sent to reinforce 
Captain Daly, and further reinforcements are on the way. We 
think it would be proper to send a company of a hundred men 
from this city to assist the provost guard until reinforcements can 
reach Henderson from Louisville. A large company might be 
made up from citizens and convalescent soldiers now in the city. 
The war is coming close to our doors and Evansville may 
soon need defenders. The officers of the Legion should rally their 
men and be ready for any emergency. The guerrillas are growing 
rrijore bold every day and if not speedily checked may cause great 
trouble and damage along our border. The property holders in 
this city and in all the border towns of Indiana are interested. 
" Will they look to their interests or will they sleep on i" " 
This article, on beino- read by the three men who had caused 
all of the excitement, was greatly enjoyed, especially that part of 



FIELD OFFICERS. 247 

it reciting that a number of dead rebels had been dragged away 
from the scene of the conflict. The citizens of Henderson were 
very much excited and the day after the attack a public meeting 
of the citizens was held and resolutions reflecting upon the action 
of the three Confederates were passed. The resolutions were 
printed in the touni papers and of course fell into the hands of the 
Confederates. They were considerably exercised at the time and 
determined on visiting Henderson again, and having an explanation. 
With this view of the situaton, Johnson and Martin came to the 
Barrett farm near the town and there, in secret, Colonel Johnson 
addressed the following letter to ex-Governor A. Dixon, Colonel 
James Shackelford, John G. Holloway, James B. Lyne, and others 
whose names were attached to the resolutions passed at the meeting 
of citizens. 

JOHXSOX'S LETTER. 

Headquarters Breckinridge Guards, July 6, 1862. 
Gentlemen : 

Noticing in one of the Henderson papers a series of resolutions 
condoling with the Federal troops on their loss in a recent attack 
made on them, and denouncing the attacking party as thieves, 
murderers and robbers and declaring war on those who made that 
attack, I wish to thoroughly understand the position you occupy. 
As it was a portion of my command that made that attack and 
every man engaged being a sworn Confederate soldier, I conclude 
that your declaration is against my government. My orders when 
I was sent to this department were imperative regarding citizens 
and their property. I was charged 'not to molest them in any 
manner unless they were engaged in war upon us. Now, gen- 
tlemen, you perceive why I wish to have a definite answer upon 
this point. If you are fully resolved to war against us, we will 
necessarily be compelled to fight you. I have repeatedly said 
to Union men who are now living in Henderson that I did not 
intend to molest any citizen on account of his politics. I have 
written to the same effect, and I now repeat it, but I contend 
that each and every one who signed those resolutions have placed 
themselves without the pale, and I await an answer to this to show 
you what it really means to be an enemy to us. I deprecate civil 
war and have used my best endeavors to avoid coming in contact 
with citizens, and here I reiterate a piece of advice given to Mr. 



248 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Delano, viz., for citzens to let soldiers fight their own battles. If 
they do not wish to see and hear the din of war in their midst, 
let them have their town cleared of bluecoats and I will guarantee 
that no one of them will be molested by Confederate soldiers. 

I want all persons to know that we are at war with the Federal 
soldiers and if they will shut themselves up in houses will some- 
times give them a little fight just for recreation. Attached to 
this is a list of names signed to those resolutions, all of whom 1 
consider as having declared war against the Confederate States and 
each name that I dp not find appended to an article denying that 
to be their intention, I shall hold him as an enemy, and his property 
subject to confiscation. The said article must be published in 
the Reporter by Thursday the 17th of July, 1862. All those so 
appearing shall not be in any manner molested by my men. I 
have sent a copy of the resolutions to the army. 

A. R. JOHNSON, C. S. A. 

List of names — Rev. Joel Lambert, Col. J. M. Shackelford, Hon. 
A. Dixon, Peter Semonin, John G. Ilolloway, Jas. B. Lyne, C. W. 
Hutchen, James H. Holloway. 

This letter was intrusted to Colonel Bob Martin, a comrade of 
Colonel Johnson, to be delivered to Governor Dixon in person. 
The privilege of undertaking this dangerous venture was greatly 
appreciated by Colonel Martin, a man who, like his commander, 
knew no fear. Accompanied by a comrade named Mollis, a re- 
cruit of the day previous, Martin started on his journey to Hen- 
derson and to Governor Dixon's residence. The town at the time 
was garrisoned by a company of Federal troops and every road 
leading out of it was closely guarded by pickets. The story of 
Martin's entry and how he employed his time during his stay of 
three or four hours will be found elsewhere in this history and 
is intensely interesting. Replies to Colonel Johnson's letter were 
received by him from C. W. Hutchen, Rev. Joel Lambert, Peter 
Semonin and Governor Dixon, all named in Colonel Johnson's 
letter to Governor Dixon. 

c. w. hutchen's reply. 

Henderson, July 16, 1862. 
Henderson Reporter: 

On yesterday I received a letter from A. R. Johnson to Gov- 
ernor Dixon, myself and others. I have only this reply to make. 
No man of common sense could or would construe the action 



FIELD OFFICERS. 249 

of the citizens' meeting in question as a declaration of war against 
the so-called Confederate States. I had no such intention nor 
do I suppose any one of the large meeting dreamed of anything of 

the sort. 

C. W. HUTCHEN* 
LAMBERT AND SEMONIN's REPLY. 

Henderson Reporter: 

In answer to the letter of A. R. Johnson we have to reply that 
we are now and have ever been Union men, but never have 
joined nor do we expect to join the army, but are now and expect 
to hold ourselves ready at all times to join with any law and order 
citizens to put down bands of marauders and robbers, but we do 
not class as such regular bodies of organized troops carrying on 
war in a legitimate manner and under the authority of a regular 
organized govemment and we did not intend in ther resolution to 
make war upon the forces of the Confederate Government, nor 
can we understand how any man of ordinary intellect could so 
construe them. 

JOEL LAMBERT, 
PETER SEMONIN. 
GOVERNOR DIXON's REPLY. 

Henderson, July 13, 1862. 
A. R. Johnson, C. S. A.: 

Sir: In response to interrogatories contained in a letter addressed 
by you to myself and others, I have only to say that the resolutions 
adopted by the meeting referred to were not as 1 understand them, 
a declaration either of myself or the citizens of Henderson to do 
anything but assist in putting down a band of lawless men who, 
as we learned, were unauthorized by either the Federal Govemment 
or the Southern Confederacy, and who are engaged in robbing and 
plundering the honest citizens of Henderson county, both Union and 
Southern Rights. 

That band is condemned by all honorable men here whether 
of Union or Southern Rights proclivities and who are deter- 
mined to put it down at whatever hazard or sacrifice. I am glad 
to learn that you do Bot countenance and that the Confederate 
Government does not authorize it. Whatever may be the merits 
of the rebellion, this predatory warfare surely has nothing to re- 
deem it in the estimation of those who would not upheave the 
foundations of society and scourge with fire and sword the fairest 



250 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

portions of Kentucky. 1 can not speak with certainty of the 
object of the other members of the committee — I think we had a 
common purpose — but for myself I disclaim all intention of declar- 
ing war against the Confederate States or of making myself a 
belligerent in the present unhappy contest between the sections and 
agree with you that it is better that the citizens should take no 
part in it, and that if it must be settled by the sword that the 
armies alone should fight the battles, and as your orders are not 
to interfere with private persons or property, but to protect them, 
may not the people of Henderson rely on your aid in suppressing 
the lawless bands who are committing so many wrongs through- 
out the country? To me the declaration in your letter that your 
orders are not to interfere with private property or persons on 
account of their Union principles is very gratifying. These orders 
are right and strictly conformable to the rules of warfare estab- 
lished by all civilized nations and you must be greatly changed 
since I knew you if you do not as a man of honor comply 
with them in letter and spirit. To seize and confiscate the 
property of Union men on account of a difference in politics would 
be not only to provoke retaliation on their part but on the part of 
the Federal Government, which is bound to protect them, and in 
this way all, both Southern Rights and Union men, would be 
involved in indiscriminate and general ruin. So horrible has this 
war seemed to me from the beginning that I have had no heart 
to take part in it. It has been a war in Kentucky of father against 
son and son against father, a war that has broken the ties of 
friendship, severed the sacred bonds that bound brother to brother, 
destroyed the relation between the citizen and his government, and 
left him almost ready to exclaim in the desponding language of 
the ruined and banished Bertram, ' I have no country; that name 
comprises dear kindred, kind friends, protecting laws; all that binds 
man to man, but none of these are mine.' That there may be 
no misunderstanding, I will have your letter published with this, 
my reply. I have the honor to be 

Your obedient servant, etc., 

ARCHIBALD DIXON. 

Colonel Johnson's letter served its purpose and the replies proved 
to be most satisfactor}^ The fact that they denied any intention 
of making war upon him or the Confederate States Government 
was a pleasing announcement. It will be observed that Governor 




CAPTAIN WM. DIMMETT, 

1st Capt. afterwards 2d Chaplain of Co. H, 10th Ky., P. R. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 251 

Dixon referred most touchingly to the days he knew Colonel 
Johnson and his high honor. When it was learned that it was 
his comnKand that had made the attack and that he was a regularly 
enrolled Confederate soldier, the previous estimate became greatly 
changed and all hands were ready to combine with him, or rather 
to accept his aid in ridding the country of predatory bands of men 
such as had been ignorantly credited to him. Knowing him and his 
honorable character, rabid Union shriekers settled down under a 
feeling of security in the fact that he was as bitter an enemy of 
the bands to be feared as they were themselves. Shortly after or 
about the time of the passage of the letters between Colonel John- 
son and the citizens' committee, the Colonel caused the following 
pnoclamation to be given prominent publication throughout this 
section of Kentucky, setting forth more fully his object and aims 
in invading the State. 

COLONEL Johnson's proclamation. 

Citizens of Kentucky: 

It has gone forth to the world that you are a subjugated people, 
that the iron heel of despotism has destroyed all spirit of resist- 
ance and crushed out the last spark of patriotism. This idea has 
gone through the North and they look upon you with contempt 
and send their hirelings to rule over you. It has crossed the 
Atlantic, and the eyes of all Europe have been looking at the position 
of Kentucky with wonder and astonishment, Down in the Sunny 
South amongst those who ought to be your brothers you have 
become a byword and a scoff. The Kentucky army have tumed 
their anxious eyes to their native State and at each new outrage 
would listen for the tocsin of war, but they have listened and hoped 
against hope until the last ray has expired. The Confederate 
Cabinet and Congress have looked for some movement indicating 
a desire for freedom, but they have looked in vain and think 
Kentucky lost. But there is one man who has never despaired; 
that man is John C. Breckinridge, the hero, the statesman and the 
patriot. With the same never despairing love that a mother bears 
to her offspring, does he regard Kentucky, with the same anxious 
case has he watched her. He has asked his government and the 
world to suspend public opinion until his State shall have one 
more opportunity to redeem her character and now, citizens of 
Kentucky, the opportunity has presented itself, and for the sake 



252 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

of your former fame and glory — for your country — for your lib- 
erties which ought tp be dearer to you than life itself, come to the 
field. Rally to your country's call, rise in your majesty and 
might and drive from your midst this monster of oppression. 

Then prepare now to meet the enemy; send the young men to the 
field, let them retrieve the character of this once proud and noble 
State. Circulate through the country that the Confederate 
Government does not war against the citizens of the country. Can 
you, with the example set by the people of the South tamely 
submit? They have with heroic devotion applied the torch to 
their property and with unparalleled unanimity have they battled 
for their country. 

Will you not risk as much as they to achieve your freedom and 
Independence? a. r. johnson, c. s. a." 

The Breckinridge Guards at that time numbered four men, but 
their daring not only attracted the attention of the young men of 
the State, but appealed to their love of the South and the Southern 
people to such an extent recruits began to rapidly pour in and 
a very dangerous command was beginning to manifest and make 
itself felt. Colonel Johnson was idolized by his men, in fact, 
there was none other to be compared with him. At the time of 
the terrible wounding inflicted upon him he was in the zenith of his 
greatness, and men were flocking to him in such numbers that 
George D. Prentice, in the Louisville Journal, warned the Govern- 
ment that unless an army sufficiently strong to drive them out of the 
State was sent on his trail, he would become so strong it would 
be a most costly and difficult matter to rid the State of him and 
his unparalleled influence in behalf of the Southern army. 

In this brief contribution to a life and character of a truly 
great and deserving Kentuckian, I have endeavored to place him 
correctly before the present age. He was unmercifully abused 
and with little genuine reason for It. His conduct since the total 
loss of his eyesight has rendered his life beautiful, and if possible 
has endeared him to his old comrades with a force and affectionate 
regard and admiration never approximated even in the days when 
with sword in hand he led his heroic braves /on and on in an 
unequal contest in which victory perched upon their waving banners. 
He fought numerous battles in which he was largely outnumbered, 
but that did not deter him, and on he rode to victory until his 
brightest and most earnest hopes had been well nigh realized, when, 




COLONEL JAS. H. HOLLOWAY, U. S. A. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 253 

at an unguarded moment Fate called a halt, and his usefulness 
as a leader of men in monal corneal was brought to speedy and 
everlasting end. Nothing daunted by becoming in his young 
manhood a physical wreck, he returned to his adopted State, and 
by the exercise of a rare intelligence accumulated a handsome com- 
petenc}- and reared a most channing family of splendid children. 
He is nearing the twilight of his life and yet retains much of the 
energy and vigor that characterized his younger years. 

ADAM R. JOHNSON. 

A Characteristic Sketch, by James R. Holloway (Colonel Battal- 
ion of Cavalry, Crittenden's Division, Federal Army). 

General Adam R. Johnson and myself were both bom in Hen- 
derson city, Henderson county, Kentucky, about the same year, 
1835, and our early lives were paralleled along ven.- much the 
same lines: congenial spirits in many respects, attending the 
same schools, engaging in the same sports; our experiences, 
very like, both getting good or bad marks for lessons at school, 
the same switch and ferule left more less their imprint on us. 
Our sports and frolics night or day partook much the same 
direction and Adam Johnson, pcjsessed of self-reliance and adroit- 
ness and natural strenuosity, led, and I, a good second, followed. 

He was ever characterized by a genius in designing and a 
l3oldness in executing, and as a leader among the boys, got us into 
and out of m.any scrapes. If we be-hoys v.-anted a holiday Adam 
laiew how best to barricade the school-house doors and lock out 
the teacher, knew best how to tease tlie old \\'illiam Goat and 
^ve the unwary boy the hardest butting; to place across a puddle 
of water a plank with the cracked side turned do\^Ti and catch 
an unlucky pedestrian. Could reverse more saddles, change more 
doctors' and merchants' signs, put more gates and bars in the 
^Tong place, rig up the queerest vehicles. In fact an all-around, 
strenuous be-hoy, running fastest, jumping highest and longest and 
thro-v^ing the straightest and truest ball, and batting hardest of most 
of us. Could catch more fish, kill more game, hunt more inde- 
fatigably and fish withal more patiently than any of us. 

In attempting to write the varied incidents in the life of and gi\e 
the salient points in the character of such an one who has, by 
hjs o^\-n individuality, lifted himself above the majority of his 



254 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

fellows, I find it difficult after a lapse of half a century and more 
to recall to memory except in a general way, and select such in- 
cidents. Among the many of those i would like to insert, Adam 
Johnson and I were always the warmest friends and most closely 
associated of perhaps any two, and almost every Saturday at 
early morn found us with fish lines, etc., and salt and pepper, fat 
meat and crackers and biscuits in our pockets and game bags and 
guns on our shoulders Trudging for and equipped for different 
kinds fof game to a point about three miles below Henderson 
opposite an island in the Ohio river, where we usually secured 
both fish and game, which we prepared; the fish, by removing the 
entrails and salt and pepper and fat meat placed inside and 
roasting in hot ashes and when done and the paper removed, 
all the scales came off with it; the birds and squirrels were roasted 
on spits and with melons and fruits foraged from nearby neighbors, 
made a feast fit for a lord. 

Occasionally accidents occurred. Our skiff would overturn and 
planks on which we sometimes paddled over to the island would 
sink and give us a ducking, but what cared we boys? One 
incident I recollect while hunting ducks on the Indiana side of the 
Ohio river. Adam, to get a better position for a shot, walked out 
about forty feet on a large rotten log that had fallen into the 
water and raising his gun to fire, the log gave way and down 
he fell in water about three feet deep; a rather amusing scene 
occurred as he made effort to save his gun from a wetting. As he 
lifted his arm aloft with his gun, his body went under the water and 
after some struggles he and gun finally got to shore, wet and 
muddy; and as we returned home he proposed we would take 
a wash in the Ohio, and though the 12th day of November we both 
went in and took a good swim and wash. I could relate other 
incidents of his boyhood days, but let this suffice, as such gives, I 
think, an insight into his boyhood years and characteristics. When 
about twenty years of age his adventurous spirit led him to leave 
his Kentucky home and go alone to Texas and settle in a com- 
paratively unknown and unexplored region, and thought by those 
of his old Kentucky chums a very risky and in many respects a 
foolhardy trip, and especially so when he wrote and related his 
encounters with wild animals and wilder and more savage Indians 
who made raids on his ranch, stealing his horses and cattle. We 
kept up a correspondence that to me was a great pleasure for years, 



FIELD OFFICERS. 255 

and he was my hero of a man and I frequently dreaded to learn 
next of him for fear of some disaster to his ribs or scalp. 

Thus passed the years till mail communication was broken off 
between the two sections of the country by the unhappy and dreadful 
Civil War, which divided families and embittered friends, especially 
in the border States like Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri; fathers 
against sons and brothers in different armies. In General John- 
son's case, himself and two brothers were in the Southern army 
and two in the Northern army, the latter two in my command. 
For reasons I will not enumerate, I enlisted a company of in- 
fantry and joined the U. S. army, and after the battle of Shiloh 
the regiment to which I belonged, being much depleted, was con- 
solidated with another Kentucky regiment and I resigned and 
raised a battalion of cavalry. But while engaged in infantry service 
and encamped at Calhoun, Kentucky, in General Tom Critten- 
den's division before January, 1862, I had frequently wondered 
what had become of my friend, Adam Johnson. No news of or 
from him, and he away down South in Dixie land. My bold 
hero and courageous friend, resting quietly on his oars and a tre- 
mendous conflict on hand ! It was no conjecture or room for doubt 
with me as to which side my friend would draw sword, when 
he buckled on his armor, for was he not from the extreme South 
and he an adopted son of the Lone Star State with all his sym- 
pathies and interests there? Though I took sides against him and 
his section, I always loved and honored him for his manly courage. 
When I had a forty-eight hours leave of absence from camp at 
Calhoun, Kentucky, and visited at Henderson the 1st of January, 
1862, I met Adam at a reception given me at my father's house 
that January eve, and when we parted that night at twelve o'clock 
(I to return to camp and he, as I hinted to him, to the Confed- 
erate camp) pledged a life long friendship for the future as of 
the past and though he gave no hint of v/hat he really intended, 
except a visit to an old father and mother, yet I guessed I'd hear 
again from him, and did sooner than I expected, for on the third, 
sometime during the darkness of the night Colonel Johnson, who 
had a commission to raise a regiment of Kentuckians, with 
Lieutenant Colonel Robt. Martin, made a sly visit into Colonel Jim 
Jackson's cavalry camp at Calhoun, Kentucky, and took without 
leave or license a number of said Jackson's horses and arms of his 
sleeping soldiers, made off safely with them, and never to my knowl- 



256 THE PARTISAX RAXGERS. 

edge did they return said property. And to crown it all, Colonel 
Johnson had the assurance to send me a sassy message, stating 
that since he had met me a few nights before he had joined the 
Confederate army, and as they needed horses and guns, and these 
were more accessible, please return his compliments to Colonel 
Jackson for the loan of same. From that time on for months he 
and his lieutenant colonel, Robt. Martin, made matters very lively 
in the Green river country as well as dangerous for those who were 
opposed to them, and I, as his old friend, was compelled, when 
visiting or prospecting that section, to take with me 
for safety a number of soldiers, his old neigh- 
bors and friends in ye olden time. His and mine were 
independent cavalry commands in the country between the Green 
and Cumberland rivers, and when out trying to establish order 
and protect the peace of its good citizens, and be as watchful and 
careful as I tried, would have some of his command unexpectedly 
and unceremoniously pounce do\\'n upon me and thus many a 
skirmish we had. Without going into detail, I will say that 'twas 
the general opinion of the military authorities of Kentucky, especially 
of those of us who had charge and operated in western Kentucky, 
that General Johnson and his command gave us more trouble and. 
did more execution than any other. I tried to keep him down and 
regulate him so long as I had to meet his forces, but after follow- 
ing him across the borders of Kentucky, through Indiana and Ohio 
in General John Morgan's great raid, in which raid Colonel 
Johnson commanded a brigade, I returned to Kentucky, and in 
September, 1863, I was mustered out of service and did not again 
enlist. Colonel Johnson, however, after the Morgan raid, again 
returned to the Green river section of Kentucky and \vas most 
actively and successfully engaged with his command. Seemingly 
ubiquitous, pushing his successes in every du-ection, capturing towns 
and cities and many soldiers, with many a hard-fought skinnish. 
Time has passed, and we have both about reached the allotted 
age, but time can not dim or efface the lustre of such a life as his; 
and when he does surrender, may the dear Lord of us all give 
him that rest that remains to His people. 

JAS. H. HOLLOWAY. 




REV. J. S. SCOBEE, 

1st Chaplain IGth Ky., P. R. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 257 

GENERAL ADAM R. JOHNSON'S COMMAND. 
By Colonel E. L. Starling. 

I have stated elsewhere in the brief sketch of General Johnson 
that his command was largely composed of young Kentuckians like 
himself — young men reared in this immediate section of the State. 
The majority of them were sons of esteemed and most deserving 
fathers and mothers; parents, in fact, who enjoyed the confidence 
of the communities in which they resided to a very large degree. 
These men had received liberal common school educations, many 
of them having graduated from well-known colleges throughout the 
country. They had been properly trained and were as well versed 
in all of the noble characteristics of true Southern manhood as any 
to be found throughout the length and breadth of their much-loved 
Southland. They had inherited from association and large reading 
an affection for the South that amounted largely to an infatuation 
or worship. They believed their country to be the garden spot of 
the universe and the Southern people the beau ideals of all human 
kind. Their sympathies were all with the South and an impetu- 
osity of determined purpose actuated and guided their every move- 
ment in life. Born horsemen and active, they would mount the 
most dangerously wild or unbroken animal with a spirit altogether 
a stranger to fear. They were active, full of life and snap, healthy 
and robust; therefore, qualified to become the very flower of the 
cavalry service. 

Such men in the main constituted General Johnson's little army 
of bold riders, who feared no foe and would shirk no duty imposed 
upon them. The General knew his men and they knew what 
confidence he placed in them in the times when the services of the 
courageous were most needed. As I have said before, his men loved 
him with a confident devotion that amounted to an infatuation, and 
though now in the twilight of life, that devotion with those yet 
living has not diminished in the least degree. With such a command 
and such men associated with him it would be an impossible under- 
taking to convince those now living that they would or could be 
induced to practice the many crimes that were charged to them by 
non-combatant enemies and Republican newspapers published at 
that time. Very many of General Johnson's soldiers survived the 
war and returned to their homes bereft of their property and 
required to begin life anew without a dollar they could call their 



258 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

own. With the same impetuosity and determined purpose that 
governed their actions on joining the army they applied themselves 
to the peaceful pursuits of life, and to their credit be it said many 
of them have been conspicuously successful and are to-day num- 
bered among the most valued and progressive citizens of the Com- 
monwealth. Those now living are among our foremost citizens, 
exerting an honorable influence wherever known, not exceeded by 
any communities of people on earth. Such I am proud to say was 
the character of men who largely composed the ranks of General 
Johnson's command. I submit sketches of two officers of this 
command: Colonel E. G. Hall and Major G. Wash Owen. 

COLONEL E. G. HALL. 

Edwin G. Hall, who was promoted to a Colonel in General 
Johnson's command, was born at West Point, on Salt river, Ken- 
tucky, seventy-four years ago and came to Henderson when a boy/ 
He had a number of relatives in the then town and county of 
Henderson with whom he passed his time until becoming of suffi- 
cient age to launch out in life for himself. He worked upon a 
farm, and tobacco being the leading staple cultivated, became an 
expert judge of its qualities and was therefore qualified to be of 
great service to any one of the large firms then doing business in the 
town of Henderson. His intelligent foresight and strong judgment, 
his energy and general efficiency attracted the attention of the firm 
of Hugh Kerr, Clark & Co., then one of the largest in the town, 
and he was employed to do business for them. He became the 
head bookkeeper of the firm and largely assisted in the general 
management of the firm's business up to the outbreak of the Civil 
War. A year or two prior to the war he had been elected mayor 
of the city of Henderson, having defeated one of the most popular 
and worthy old men of the city at that time. Henderson being on 
the border, was continuously annoyed by Federal troops, and the 
frequent clash of authority between them and Mayor Hall greatly 
exasperated the mayor and rendered his position one rather to be 
shunned than sought by him. The object of the soldiery seemed 
to be to force Mayor Hall to decide with the Union and to do things 
altogether revolting to his high and honorable manhood. He was 
persistently pursued in one way and another, and finally an obnox- 
ious oath altogether out of the regular line was prepared, and he 
was required to subscribe his name to it or be arrested and trans- 



FIELD OFFICERS. 259 

ported to some bastile far away from his home. Being a man of 
the highest honor and thoroughly detesting the acts of those in 
command, he determined on casting his lot with the Confederacy, 
and between two suns and without tendering his resignation, he 
departed from the city, and in a day or two reported at Bowling 
Green, Kentucky, where General Albert Sidney Johnston was in 
command of a large army confronting General D. C. Buell, who, 
with an equally large army, was moving in the direction of Nash- 
ville. Subsequently Colonel Hall became a soldier of General 
Adam R. Johnson's command and proved to be one of his most 
valued soldiers and advisers. Colonel Hall was active in recruiting 
and during the time was engaged in a number of skirmishes cal- 
culated to test his courage as well as his military ability. Failing 
to recruit his regiment to the standard, and being otherwise dissatis- 
fied, he resigned his commission and soon after went north, spending 
a good portion of his time in Canada in business. He afterward 
engaged in business at Chicago and Detroit, Michigan, and was 
quite successful. At the close of the war he returned to Henderson 
and again associated himself with Kerr, Clark & Co., with whom 
he remained up to the dissolution of the firm. 

During the great California gold excitement of 1849 Colonel 
Hall, in company with ten or a dozen more, made the trip overland 
from Henderson to the Golden State, and for quite a while engaged 
in mining. Becoming wearied of this venture, he returned to Ken- 
tucky at the age of seventeen years. At one time he was engaged 
in the dry goods business in Henderson with his cousin Alvan Jones 
and subsequently with David Hart. He married Miss Elizabeth 
Alten of Harrodsburg, Kentuck}^ Some time during the seventies 
Colonel Hall moved to Louisville, and under the form of Hall & 
Hayward carried on an extensive manufacture of crackers and all 
kinds of candies. In this as in all other engagements he was most 
fortunate in adding greatly to his already comfortable fortune. No 
man in Louisville was held in greater esteem, and the greatest regret 
was manifest when it was learned that he had sold out and would 
locate in California. This he did, however, and has continued to 
reside in that State to the present time. Wherever he has lived he 
secured to himself a friendship most to be desired, the foremost 
men in the communities becoming endeared to him with a devotion 
seldom approximated by any one. Colonel Hall is to-day an old 
man, quite wealthy and living a life of comparative ease. 



260 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

MAJOR. G. WASH OWEN. 

The subject of this sketch was another of General Johnson's most 
valued officers. Major Owen came to Henderson during the year 
1859 or i860 from the State of Maryland, and engaged with rela- 
tives as prescriptionist in one of the leading drug stores of that day 
and time. He was an expert compounder of medicines, and 
altogether a young man of much brilliance. He was a great favorite 
in the social circle and enjoyed the esteem of a host of friends in 
the largest degree. He was a young man of studious habits, highly 
educated and was possessed of unquestioned courage. Among the 
first to respond to the call of the South, he went to Bowling Green 
along with Colonel Hall and others, and was subsequently assigned 
to General Johnson's command in western Kentucky. In the early 
part of the war, knowing that there were one hundred stands of 
the finest rifles and a six-pound brass cannon stored in an armory 
of the Kentucky State Guard at Henderson, he planned a midnight 
raid into that place for the purpose of seizing the arms and trans- 
porting them South. The way was absolutely clear for him, and 
no difficulty was experienced in getting possession of the coveted 
arms. There were no Union soldiers in the town at that time, and 
a large majority of the company in charge of the guns and cannon 
were pleased at the opportunity of having them seized and turned 
over to the Confederates. The next morning when it was learned 
that Owen had seized the State Guard arms and fled in all haste for 
the South, Honorable Robert T. Glass, who was a very strong 
Southern sympathizer, in company with several others, mounted 
on horseback, started in pursuit of Owen for the purpose of having 
the arms returned to Henderson. This course on the part of Mr. 
Glass was thought very strange until it was learned that he and 
the others with him were security on the bond executed to the 
State for the safe-keeping and safe return to the State of all the 
arms upon the abandonment of the company. Some fifteen 
thousand dollars were involved, and the bond was perfectly plain 
and positive. The military board then in authority in Kentucky 
was composed of uncompromising Union men, and they would 
have held the securities for the payment of every cent of the State's 
loss. Glass and his friends knew that to be true; hence the effort 
to regain the lost property. Hurrying on as fast as their horses 
could withstand, they succeeded in overtaking Major Owen at a 
point in Webster, the adjoining county, some seventeen miles out 



FIELD OFFICERS. 261 

of Henderson, in camp, taking a much-needed rest. Mr. Glass 
Toeing the spokesman, approached Major Owen and explained the 
situation to him in its most forcible light. The major listened 
attentively to their every plea and appeared much interested. He 
knew the party to be composed of his friends and friends of the 
Confederacy. He knew also that he was safe from attack, and that 
the way to the South was clear to him, but yet his honor and for- 
mer friendship was at stake. To seize what appeared to be the 
property of his friends and perhaps financially ruin most of them 
was a matter for his consideration. He recognized the further fact 
that while his friends were in no way responsible for his acts there 
was yet an opportunity for involving them in great trouble with 
the State if not the Federal Government. Taking into earnest 
and honorable consideration the questions at issue, the young major 
was put to a severe test as to what he should do. He knew that 
Jiis country needed the arms he had seized and that his act of seizure 
and safe transportation to the South would be applauded from one 
end of the Confederacy to the other and tend, in all probability, 
to his promotion, and yet his high sense of honor caused him to 
consider in deep earnestness his duty to his country and his non- 
combatant friends. He knew or believed no doubt that nine officers 
•or soldiers out of ten would hold on to the arms and turn them 
over 1^0 the army regardless of consequences, but for him to do 
so appeared as a proposition too monstrous and one that would 
punish his conscience for all time to come. He weighed the appeals 
of his friends in one scale and his duty to his country in another, 
and without the toss of a copper his decision was rendered and 
the seized property restored to his friends. The wagons were 
immediately wheeled around and started on their return journey 
to Henderson, where they arrived in safety during the evening, and 
were a few days after turned over to an authorized agent of Ken- 
tucky and his relinquishment of the bond received. 

Such was the character of Major Wash Owen, who subsequently 
became a dashing, daring cavalrymen, admired for his courage and 
high honor by all who knew him or came within the zone of his 
sunshiny disposition. Major Owen continued his residence in 
the Southland at the close of the war and became one of the fore- 
most and most respected physicians and surgeons in Atlanta, where 
he died several years ago. 

I could extend my contribution to General Johnson's book to an 



262- THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

indefinite length in contributing to the honor, capacity and high 
character of officers and men whose acquaintance I enjoyed and 
whose friendship I shared. 

COLONEL LEONIDAS ARMSTEAD SYPERT. 

By M. D. Sypert. 

Colonel Leonidas Armstead Sypert v/as born in Lebanon, Ten- 
nessee, December 15, 1832, a son of H. A. and Ann S. Sypert, of 
German-English descent. He acquired a finished education and was 
a graduate of Lebanon, Tennessee, Law College. He located at Hop- 
kinsville, Kentucky, where he engaged in the practice of his profes- 
sion several years beibre the Civil War. 

When the war broke out he was among the first to respond, 
and during these four years of colossal warfare won an enviable name 
upon the battlefield. Colonel Sypert first joined Green's Cum- 
berland Battery in 1861, which was ordered to Fort Donelson and 
did gallant service up to the surrender of the fort. Both Sypert 
and Green made their escape. The former followed up the retreat- 
ing army under Albert Sidney Johnston, overtaking them at Shelby- 
ville, Tennessee, where they had a considerable battle with the 
Federal forces. From this place he was ordered to Huntsville, 
Alabama, and thence to Corinth, Mississippi, where Johnston was 
concentrating his forces. He then engaged in the battle of Shiloh 
and was put in charge of fifty prisoners whom he conducted back 
to Corinth, ranking at that time as captain. 

The summer of 1863 he was commissioned colonel and given 
authority to raise a regiment. The original has been preserved by 
Mrs. Sypert and reads as follows: 

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. 
WAR DEPARTMENT.. 

Adjutant and Inspector General's Office. 

Richmond, Va., August 26, 1863. 
Authority is hereby granted to Captain L. A. Sypert to raise a 
regiment of cavalry for the Provisional Army Confederate States 
of America. The companies will elect their officers and will be 
mustered into service of the Confederate States for the war. If the 
companies are mustered into service, as a regiment the field officers 
will be elected; and if mustered as independent companies the field 




COLONEL L. A. SYPERT. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 263 

officers will be appointed by the President. Copies of the muster roll 
and elective certificates should be forwarded to this office for file. 
By command of the Secretary of War, 

ED. A. PALFREY, 

Lt. Col. and A. A. G. 

CAPTAIN L. A. SYPERT, RICHMOND, VA. 

On his return from Richmond, Virginia, the train was captured 
by the enemy, and by jumping from the fast moving train Colonel 
Sypert succeeded in making his escape through North Carolina 
to the nearest railway, on which he returned via Atlanta to Dalton, 
Georgia. Here he found his old command and remained with 
them until after the battle of Chickamauga, participating in this 
hard-contested victory. Shortly after this the regiment was attached 
to General Wheeler, with whom they made a successful raid into 
Tennessee, capturing Shelbyville and other points and doing much 
damage to the enemy. 

In the spring of 1864 he returned to Kentucky and succeeded in 
raising a regiment of cavalry, recruiting principally from the coun- 
ties of Union, Henderson and Webster. With this force of raw 
recruits he first encountered Colonel Sam Johnson in Crittenden 
county at Bell's Mines and next day at Blue Lake, whom he com- 
pletely routed and drove from the country. 

Shortly after this Mr. J. E. Rankin, a Union man, was shot by a 
party of guerrillas, falsely called Southern soldiers. In retaliation 
two innocent Confederate prisoners were brought to Henderson 
and shot. The next day Colonel Sypert attacked Henderson and 
drove the Federal army out of the city. The Union citizens fearing 
revenge upon themselves, the city was thrown into the wildest con- 
sternation, but were promptly reassured by Colonel Sypert who 
issued the following proclamation: 

''to the citizens op HENDERSON." 

"On yesterday two Confederate soldiers were shot to death in 
the streets of your city. They condemned, their whole command 
•condemned, as earnestly as any citizen of Kentucky, the shooting 
of Mr. James E. Rankin and the plundering of your city. But 
they are gone and their murder is another crime added to the 
damnable catalogue of the despotism that rules you. We are Con- 
federate soldiers. We fight for the liberty our sires bequeathed us. 
We have not made nor will we make war upon citizens and women. 
Let not your people be excited by any further apprehension that 



264 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

we will disturb the peace of your community by the arrest of 
Union men or any interference with them, unless they place them-, 
selves in the attitude of combatants; such conduct would be cowardly 
and we scorn it. We are in arms to meet and battle with soldiers, 
not to tyrannize over citizens and frighten women and children. 

" We move with our lives in lOur hands. We are fighting not 
for booty but for liberty; to disenthrall our loved Southern land 
from the horrible despotism under which it has bled and suffered 
so much. We know our duty and will do it as soldiers and men. 

" Even if what are denominated as ' Southern sympathizers ' be 
arrested by the tyrants that lord it over you, we would scorn to 
retaliate by arresting Union men who had no complicity in the 
matter, but our retaliation will be upon soldiers. Let qot the non- 
combatants of your community be further excited by any fear that 
we will disturb them; all Union men who may have left home on 
our account may safely return. In war soldiers should do the fighting. 

" L. A. SYPERT, 

" C^ol. Commanding, C. S. A. 

'' R. B. L. SOERY, 

" Lieut.-Col., C. S. A. 

" J. WALKER TAYLOR, 

" Major, C. S. A." 
To this brave utterance the Henderson News thus. responded: 
" Colonel Sypert has been known in peace and war as a thoroughly 
brave man and a gentleman. When he entered this city he issued 
this proclamation which speaks for itself. No eulogy could add 
to the honor it sheds upon the man. Everything here at the time 
was absolutely as his mercy, but he refused a temptation to plunder 
and an opportunity for vengeance upon the citizens not in arms. 
His words Qomposed our people who were in a fearful state of 
excitement. They were grateful to him and admire him for his 
manly and soldierly conduct." 

After this incident Colonel Sypert removed his command to 
Sulphur Springs, Union county, and shortly after with about five 
hundred men attached himself to General Adam Johnson, who 
had come into the State to recruit a brigade. His command fol- 
lowed the fortunes of this able officer and was near him when he 
was wounded. 

Colonel Sypert's command was then transferred to General Lyon, 
with whom he remained until ihe close of the war, when he sur- 
rendered to the Federal General, Wilson, at Columbus, Mississippi. 




JOSEPH WEAK, 

Co. I, 10th Ky., P. R. Confidential Scout for General Johnson. 



FIELD OFFICERS. 265 

When the war was ended he returned to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, 
and resumed the practice of law. He rose rapidly in his profession, 
and in a few years stood among the first of the bar; he also took 
an active part in politics. 

On June 30, 1868, he was married to Miss Martha Douglas 
Henry, whose ancestors date back to the Douglas of Scotland and 
days of Cromwell and later (Of Colonial prominence, a lady of 
many graces and much wealth, daughter of Colonel R. W. Henry 
of Confederate note. His union was blessed by the advent of six 
daughters and two sons : Mrs. Annie Sypert Russell, of Oklahoma ; 
Mrs. Margaret Sypert Mason, of Oklahoma; Mrs. Sadie Sypert 
Patton, of Alabama ; Mrs. Lee Sypert Cleveland, of Tennessee ; Mrs. 
Susan Sypert Johnson, of Kentucky; Mattie Lee, Douglas Wilkins 
and Robert William Henry Sypert. These three last-named died in 
infancy. 

Colonel L. A. Sypert died of pneumxonia in Hopkinsville, Ken- 
tucky, March 23, 1892, at the age of sixty years. 

He was a brave soldier, a dashing, daring officer, unflinching in 
duty, a strategist, lawyer and politician, a leader in war and in peace. 

ADDITIONAL SKETCH OF COLONEL L. A. SYPERT. 
By C. G. Duke. 

My acquaintance with Colonel Lee A. Sypert began early in the 
spring of 1864. I had made up my mind to recruit a company of 
men, if possible, for the Confederate army, and had succeeded in 
getting ten or twelve of our neighbor boys and acquaintances 
together for that purpose, when I learned that Captain Sypert, of 
Colonel Woodward's regiment was at that time in Christian county 
with a commission to raise a regiment of men for the Confederate 
service. I sent word to him that if his commission was all right 
i believed that I could be of some benefit to him. He came to 
Caldwell county at my request, and after being being associated with 
us a short while, our little band concluded that he was a leader 
that we could follow with confidence. We at once decided to cast 
our lot with him, and so we took the oath of allegiance to the 
Confederate cause. About this time it became very warm for us 
in Caldwell county, as there was a regiment of Union soldiers 
stationed there at Princeton, the county seat. We made our way 
across the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers and remained three 



266 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

weeks, and as we did not recruit very fast there we decided ta 
return to Union and Hopkins counties and remain until we recruited 
a body of men sufficiently large to constitute a regiment. We were 
so few in numbers that we made slow headway recruiting, but the 
people in those counties received us with open arms and hearts, fed 
our men and horses in many instances. The ladies of Union county 
would bring large baskets of provisions to us themselves, some on 
horseback and some in buggies. We boys thought they were the 
noblest creatures that the sun ever shone upon. 

About this time Colonel Sam Johnson, who was located at 
Hopkinsville at the time, h-eard of our whereabouts and declared 
that he would come over to Morganfield and stay until every rebel 
was killed or captured. 

We had men on the watch who notified us that the Yankees were 
on their way to Morganfield. They arrived about sundown.. We 
were camped at Blue Pond, about six miles from town. About 
dark Colonel Sypert came up smiling and said : " I want four 
or five men for a particular purpose to-night." We asked what 
was up and he told us he wanted some fun out of " Old Sam;" sa 
five men volunteered and they proceeded forthwith to Morganfield 
and captured the pickets and fired on the command as they were 
in the houseyard cooking supper. They made a break for the^ 
court house in a hurry and the citizens told us that they forgot to 
eat the supper they were cooking when we fired upon them. The 
next day Johnson came out to our camp, as he had said, to 
annihilate us. We heard them forming a line of battle in the under- 
brush and we did not wait for them to rush upon us, but instead 
we were ordered to charge that army of three or four hundred men. 
We did so with about twenty-five men and to our surprise they 
fell back in confusion; we pursued and completely routed them. The 
road on either side was thickly covered with timber and every now 
and then we would fire into this column with small squads upon. 
either side until they thought the woods were full of us. Johnson 
declared when he got back to Hopkinsville that he believed every 
tree in Union county had a rebel behind it. 

After this the men became bolder and we recruited more men 
rapidly. Some lof Morgan's men who had escaped from prison 
joined us and we had skirmishes every once in a while. We got 
our encampments as a result of these skirmishes. Shortly after- 
ward we attacked a camp at Bell Mines and took quite a number 
of prisoners, guns and ammunition, then we surprised a camp at 



FIELD OFFICERS. 267 

Old Salem, took the pickets and other prisoners and killed and 
wounded several men and horses. About this time General Adam 
R. Johnson came upon the stage of action. We then began making 
preparations to go South where we were to go into regular service. 
We had by this time five hundred raw recruits and only about one- 
third of them were armed; we heard of a company of Federals at 
Grubb's Crossroads and we decided to pass that way in our course 
out of Kentucky and surprise and capture the men and secure arms 
to equip our men. This we accomplished, but unfortunately 
General Johnson received the wound that caused the loss of his 
eyesight. 

By this time a large force of Federal troops were following us 
by land and by the river in gunboats. A constant firing was kept 
up between the Federals and the Confederates from near Canton 
on the Cumberland river on through Steward county, Tennessee, 
and in crossing the river there we were ^ shelled by the gunboats 
which cut off about one-third of our men, and between the Cum- 
berland and Tennessee rivers our command encountered a large 
force of negro troops. In that fight we lost two gallant officers, 
namely, Lieutenant Colonel Robt. Soery and Captain Presly H. 
Garr, and on reaching Paris, Tennessee, we found General H. B. 
Lyon there in camp quarters. Our command having been reduced 
in numbers we were consolidated with the Eighth Kentucky. 

I was never with the command after the shelling of the woods 
at the river in Steward county, Tennessee, as my colonel gave me 
orders to go back to Union county and collect the men who had 
been cut off and bring them out in squads of six or eight at a 
time, and as I was making an effort to cross with the last remaining 
squad of men left in Kentucky I was captured and sent to Johnson's 
Island, Ohio, where I remained until the close of the war. 

There are many little reminiscences that I could mention in a 
funny way that I do not attach much importance to, so I will refrain 
from making any mention of them. 

MAJOR J. W^ALKER TAYLOR. 

Major J. Walker Taylor was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky, 
February, 1825, and died October, 1889. He was reared on a farm 
near Louisville, and was a brother of Captain Samuel Burk Taylor. 
He reported to me for duty a few days after I arrived in Union 
county and was assigned to Sypert's regiment as major. He bore 



268 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

information from General Forrest that he would join me as soon 
as possible after learning the conditions and results of my expedi- 
tions. He was sent with Colonel Cunningham as guide on account 
of his knowledge of the country and the positions of the Federals; 
as soon as he reached the lines he was to report to General Forrest, 
while Colonel Cunningham was to proceed directly to Richmond. 
All this was well executed, and he joined Colonel Cunningham on 
his return to Kentucky. Learning that 1 had been wounded, Colonel 
Cunningham reported to Colonel Chenoweth's headquarters near 
Tennessee. Major Taylor came on to where I was staying, at the 
home of Garland Simms, and stated that Forrest had received 
peremptory orders to hold his department and check the expeditions 
that were formed against him, but if we could induce the Federals 
who were following me to cross the Tennessee river that he would 
in some way join me and clean them up. Of course, this informa- 
tion was of no service to me, but it showed the indefatigable 
courage and determination of Major Taylor. I had known him 
since my first expedition into Kentucky and considered him one of 
the best secret service men jn the Confederacy. 

Upon a memorable occasion he went into Louisville and inter- 
viewed Colonel Henry Dent, the provost marshal of the city, who 
had offered a large reward for his apprehension. Dressed as a 
poor old countryman, he introduced himself under a fictitious name 
and talked a long time to the colonel, even mentioning Walker Taylor 
himself; certainly a bold piece of business, the penalty for which 
rashness, if detected, would have been a drum-head court martial 
and speedy death by hanging. But fortunately he escaped. 

The following is reprinted from the Confederate Veteran of April, 
1903: 

A PROPOSED ABDUCTION OF LINCOLN. 

Henry T. Louthan, Adjutant Magruder-Ewell Camp, U. C. V., 
Williamsburg, Va. : 

'' Springfields," six miles east lof Louisville, is surrounded by 
sloping hills, crystal streams, picturesque woodlands and bluegrass 
fields. The house was built about 1 785 by Colonel Richard Taylor, 
the father of President Zachary Taylor, and remained in the family 
until the reconstruction days of 1865-70, when, like so many other 
homesteads of the South, it passed into the hands of strangers. 

In the old family burying ground, now overgrown with 
myrtle and inclosed by a crumbling limestone wall, 



FIELD OFFICERS. 269 

sleep heroes from the Taylor family of four American wars. 
In the center rises a snow-white marble shaft, upon the top of which 
stands a figure of General Zachary Taylor, the hero of Fort Harri- 
son, Black Hawk, Okechobee, Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma 
and Buena Vista. Beneath the monument lie the ashes of the 
general's father, Colonel Richard Taylor, of Reviolutionary fame; 
of his brother, Hancock Taylor, of the Indian wars waged in the 
West; and of his nephew. Major Joseph Walker Taylor, of the 
army of the Confederate States. " Spring-fields " was the boyhood 
home of President Tayl9r> but at the death of his father it fell to 
the latter's eldest son, Hancock Taylor, the father of Major Joseph 
Walker Taylor, one of the central figures of this sketch. Major 
Taylor died at his home, near Louisville, in October, 1889, and a 
few weeks before his death received the following letter from 
Jefferson Davis: 

"Beauvoir, Miss., August 31, 1889. 
"Major Walker Taylor. 

" My Dear Sir : — Your attention has, no doubt, been sometimes 
attracted to the revived, though baseless, accusation against me as 
having been connected with attempts to assassinate President 
Lincoln. As you were the only man who ever talked to me on the 
subject of his capture, or at least the only one who I believed 
intended to do what he proposed, and that was carefully guarded 
against any design to kill, the purpose being to get the advantage 
of possession alive, I thought I would write to you for such recol-. 
lection as you retain of your proposition to capture and my declining 
to entertain it on the ground that the attempt would probably 
involve the killing instead of bringing away the captive alive. It 
has been so long since I saw you tlxat I may as well ask how you 
are and how fares it with you. I am, as ever, affectionately yours, 

" JEFFERSON DAVIS." 

The original of this letter is in the possession of Miss Virginia 
Taylor, of Louisville, Ky. She is a daughter of Major Walker 
Taylor, and gave the writer the main facts for this paper. 

Mrs. Jefferson Davis, in some notes to the writer concerning the 
above letter, says : " I was my husband's amanuensis, and he 
could not tell my handwriting from his own. He occasionally 
wrote during his whole life, though not often, as I both wrote and 
signed his checks and letters. The letter you sent me was dictated 
to me by Mr. Davis and is in my hand, every word, and the signature 



270 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

as well. Mr. Davis rarely ever signed anything I wrote. In the last 
years of his life he disliked very much using a pen." 

Major Taylor was a first cousin of General Taylor's daughter, 
Miss Sarah Knox Taylor, who was the first wife of Jeiferson Davis. 
In this way Walker Ta}lor, as he was known by his friends, came to 
be upon familiar terms with the Confederate chieftain. Walker Tay- 
lor was a small man; but, like his uncle, '' Old Rough and Ready," 
nothing but brave and daring blood ran in his veins. During the 
first year of the war he was on the staff of General Simon Bolivar 
Buckner, of Kentucky, and gave his special attention to the secret 
service. This training made him the man to propose and carry 
into successful execution the capture of President Lincoln. If Tay- 
lor had obtained the consent of Davis to carry out the proposed 
abduction there is not the least doubt in the minds of those who 
knew the brave Kentuckian but that the civilized world would have 
awaked one morning in 1862 wondering at the mysterious disap- 
pearance of the President of the United States. 

In February, 1862, Major Taylor was severely wounded in the 
cheek and throat at the storming of Fort Donelson. He escaped 
capture, and after becoming well enough to travel, donned a citizen's 
suit and boarded a train bound for Louisville. He sat by a Federal 
officer, with two others facing him. He wore a muffler around 
his neck and a plaster over the hole in his cheek. One of the officers 
said to him: "Friend, is that a cancer on your face?" Taylor 
carelessly replied : " The doctors disagree about that," and nothing 
more was said about the wound. He reached Louisville without 
being molested, and though the place was held by Union troops, 
he spent some days with his family at his home, just east of the 
city. 

While recuperating Taylor conceived the plan of abducting 
Lincoln. From Louisville he went directly to Washington City. 
He had two brothers in the Union army, while he and another brother 
had cast their lot with the Confederacy. He had some kinsmen in 
high Government positions in Washington, but he knew they would 
not betray him, as they had no idea of his real mission in the city. 
He stayed while there with his uncle, General Joseph Taylor, of the 
Federal army; and the old general was quite uneasy while his 
reckless nephew was at the capital. Taylor had quite an extended 
conversation with one of the President's secretaries, and a few days 
later boldly went to the White House, and at a public reception 



FIELD OFFICERS. 271 

had himself introduced as " Mr. Taylor, of Kentucky." The 
I-'resident seeing that he had been shot, asked him at what battle 
he had been wounded. When Taylor replied, ** At Fort Donelson," 
Mr. Lincoln complimented the work of the Federals there, not 
supposing for a moment that the soldier whom he held by the 
hand was a Confederate, coolly planning one of the most daring 
schemes of the war. Taylor watched closely for some time the 
daily movements of Lincoln, and then passed quietly down into 
Virginia and on to Richmond to hold a conference with Jelferson 
Davis. 

In a letter to the writer, dated March 14, 1898, Colonel William 
Preston Johnston, President Davis's aid-de-camp, says : '' 1 think 
the date of Taylor's interview was in the early summer of 1862. 
Indeed, I know it was. It was not a formal aifair. Mrs. Davis was 
not in the city, and I was living with Mr. Davis. I met Taylor and 
told Mr. Davis he was in to^yn, and he directed me to ask him to 
breakfast. While we were waiting for breakfast Taylor explained 
his wish and plan to me before Mr. Davis came down, and toward 
the close of breakfast I told the President that Taylor had a scheme 
he wished to lay before him." Colonel Johnston then refers to the 
following account of the interview : " * Well, Walker, said Mr. 
Davis affably, ' what is it ? ' * Mr. Davis, I want to bring Lincoln a 
prisoner to you in this city.' * Oh, pshaw ! ' said Davis, * how can 
such a thing as that be done? ' 'Just as easily,' said Taylor, 'as 
walking out of this town. I came across the Potomac at no great 
distance from Washington, and while I was there I watched Lincoln's 
habits closely and know his outgoing and incoming. I tell you, 
sir, that I can bring him across that river just as easily as I can 
walk over your doorstep.' 'How could you do it ?' said Mr. Davis. 
* Lincoln,' replied Taylor, ' does not leave the White House until 
evening, or near twilight, and then with only a driver he takes 
a lonely ride two or three miles in the country to a place called the 
Soldiers' Home, which is his summer residence. My point is to 
collect several of these Kentuckians whom I see about here doing 
nothing and who are brave enough for such a thing as that, and 
capture Lincoln, run him down the Potomac and cross him over 
just where I crossed, and the next day will have him here.' Davis 
shook his head and said : ' I can not give my authority. Walker. In 
the first place, I suppose Lincoln is a man of courage. He has 
been in Indian wars, and is a Western man. He v/ould undoubtedly 



272 ■ THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

resist being captured. In that case you would kill him. I could 
not stand the imputation of having consented to let Mr. Lincoln 
be assassinated. Our cause could not stand it. Besides, what value 
would lie be to us as a prisoner? Lincoln is not the Government 
or the Federal power. He is merely the political instrument there. 
If he were brought to Richmond what could I do with him? He 
would have to be treated like the magistrate of the North, and we 
have neither the time nor the provision. No, sir, I will not give my 
authority to abduct Lincoln ! ' " 

- Major Taylor was a brave soldier and a gentleman and the 
. thought of assassinating Lincoln never entered his mind. The iron- 
nerved Kentuckian simply desired to capture the chief executive 
of the United States and to retaki him as a prisoner of war. But 
the tall chieftain of those who wore the gray consented not, for 
he knew that his great opponent might be killed in the attempt. 
Was this refusal to sanction the proposed abduction mere sentiment ? 
No, but it was manhood and wisdom.- Thus it is seen that Davis 
not only did not desire the assassination of Lincoln, but refused 
to countenance even a possibility of it. 

When Mr. Lincoln was assassinated, three years later, the whole 
country was in a state of great excitement. President Andrew 
Johnson, in his proclamation of May 2, 1865, charged Davis with 
instigating the assassination, and ofl'ered $100,000 reward for his 
arrest. Davis was captured. The Federal Government at his trial 
made a thorough investigation into what Johnson had charged. 
The result of the trial shows that Jefferson Davis was in no wise 
connected with Lincoln's assassination. Davis prevented a possible 
I killing of Lincoln in 1862, and the world believes to-day that the 

' sad affair of 1865 was wholly without the previous knowledge of 

the Confederate chieftain. Were Caesar and Lincoln at this time 
to commune upon subjects martial and civic, they oould speak of 
Jefferson Davis as a Pompey, but never as a Brutus. 

COLONEL CHARLES NAPIER. 

Colonel Charles Napier was lieutenant colonel in the Sixth Ken- 
tucky Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Grigsby; was seriously 
wounded at Snow Hill; the most of his regiment was captured 
on the Indiana and Ohio raid. He was ordered to report to me 
on my last expedition into Kentucky and was organizing a regiment 
when I vv^as wounded, and had about four hundred men who were 
afterwards consolidated with other Kentucky commands. His 



FIELD OFFICERS^ 273 

regimental organization was as follows: John Shanks, lieutenant 
colonel; Coleman, Major; Nelms, of Atlanta, Georgia, adjutant; Neil 
Helm, captain Company A; Henry Gist, captain Company B; 
John Head, captain Company C; Alf. Richeson, captain Company 
D; R. Row, captain Company E; William Quinn, captain Com- 
pany F. • 

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ROBERT SOERY. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Soery was bom in England, and was 
but a small child when brought by his parents to Robinson county, 
Tennessee. He enlisted in the Confederate army at the beginning 
of the war; was elected lieutenant-colonel of Sypert's regiment; 
was killed during the latter part of 1864. 



Company Officers of the Rangers. 

SAMUEL BURK TAYLOR. 

Captain Samuel Burk Taylor was born in Jefferson county, 
Kentucky, In January, 1841, and died in October, 1867. He was 
a brother of Major J. Walker Taylor and son of Hancock Taylor, 
who was elder brother to President Zachary Taylor. He was a 
striking likeness of President Taylor, and had many of his char- 
acte'ristics in battle; he was cool and courageous and always quick 
to use any advantage. While apparently a small man, he was an 
athlete, and expert in the use of fire-arms. He joined Colonel 
Johnson about the 20th of August, 1862, and in a few days 
after led his company in a fight against the combined forces of 
Foster and Shackelford. He and Captain Fowler with about one 
hundred men held Foster's whole command in check. Here Captain 
Taylor showed his remarkable precision with the pistol. Taking 
his stand in the middle of the road, he shot down several htorses, 
and when asked afterwards why he killed the horses instead of the 
men, said that he always found that a dead horse was the best 
breastwork in the world against cavalry, as it was almost impossible 
for a trooper to force his steed to go over him or around him. 

Captain Taylor led his company in the battle of Uniontown, 
Geiger's Lake, Owensboro, and many skirmishes before joining 
the main army. He was with Morgan on his Christmas raid and 
led one lof the parties on the attack at Lebanon, Kentucky. He 
was also on the Indiana and Ohio raid and aided in capturing the 
steamboats that crossed the command at Brandenburg. 

With one of his lieutenants he rode into Cincinnati and reported 
the condition of affairs in that city to General Morgan. He and 

274 




CAPTAIN SAM. B. TAYLOR, 
Co.E, 10th Ky., P. R. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 275 

Captain Jake Bennett made a gallant fight against Hobson's whole 
command at Long Bottom, holding them in check all night; was 
captured with General Morgan and put in the Ohio penitentiary, 
and greatly aided Captains Hockersmith and Bennett in rescuing 
General Morgan. 

They were very desirous to know where the sewer pipe came 
out on the outer side of the wall around the prison. 

Along the front wall of the prison a veranda ran, reaching to 
the top of the building, and along the face of the veranda, from 
column to column were extended horizontal bars or rods high 
overhead, at each floor, the structure being several stories high. One 
of the little party who was plotting to escape engaged the superin- 
tendent in conversation, and the talk finally led to the bars, which 
one of them said were separated by such a distance perpendicularly, 
that a prisoner might escape by springing upward from one to 
another until he got upon the roof, from which he could descend 
at the rear. The superintendent hooted at the idea of any man 
making such high, vertical, dangerous leaps. " Why we have a 
little fellow here who can do it," responded the officer. This declara- 
tion being challenged. Captain Taylor was brought forward as 
their champion acrobat. Permission was given for him to break 
his neck, but to the utter amazement of the superintendent, the 
little captain leaped upward from story to story with the agility 
of a kangaroo, and was soon on the top of the building from which 
he gained the coveted view and saw that the sewer ran under the 
wall at a place favorable for their emergement. This valuable in- 
formation inspired the conspirators with increased hope and aided 
much in their escape. 

LUCAS WILLIAM TRAFTON. 

Lucas William Trafton, son of William and America Trafton, was 
born in Evansville, Indiana, April 9, 1837. He attended Wabash 
College, and pursued his studies with a view to the practice of law. 
While at home from college he met with an accident while out 
hunting which resulted in the loss of his left arm. 

At the age of seventeen he entered the oftlce of the county 
clerk of Henderson, Kentucky, as deputy under William D. Allison, 
which position he filled acceptably for four years. At the age of 
twenty-one he was admitted to the bar and at a special election in 
October, 1859, he was elected to succeed Grant Green as county 



276 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 

judge. He served as such until August, 1862, at which time the 
Fvobinson military government came into control of the State of 
Kentucky. Knowing that he would be forced out of office, he 
left on or about August 12th, with Captain Ed. Hall and enlisted 
with the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry at Camp Coleman. Captain 
Hall's two companies were merged with eight companies under 
the command of Colonel Adam R. Johnson. This regiment was 
of the second brigade of General John H. Morgan's division. He 
followed its fortunes as captain and assistant quartermaster until 
the capture of Morgan's command at Butfington Island, and rejoined 
it after being exchanged as a prisoner. 

When captured he was taken with other prisoners to Johnson's 
Island, and afterward to Columbus, Ohio. In a letter dated in 
November, 1863, Captain Trafton alludes to General Morgan's 
escape in these words: "There has been a change in our hotel, 
as just two weeks ago General Morgan and six others escaped from 
this place." His letters written home while in prison, showed that 
he was continually in his usual cheerful spirits. His letters, whether 
written in prison or in the field, deplore the fact of more young, 
alle-bcdled men not enlisting in the cause of the South. 

On March 24, 1864, Captain Trafton was taken to Fort Dela- 
ware, where after a few months he was exchanged. He returned 
South and joined his command. Late in the fall of 1864, while 
going with Captain Paul Marrs from Montgomery, Alabama, to 
join General Adam R. Johnson's command, he was shot at Milledge- 
ville, Georgia, by a drunken man and was severely wounded. 
Captan Marrs immediately sent for physicians and had them probe 
for the bullet. This was unsuccessful and the physicians afterward 
decided that an operation would be necessary. When about to 
take him to the hospital, Mrs. Mary Spaulding, one of the many 
noble-hearted and patriotic women of the South, appeared at the 
hotel and asked that the wounded Confederate soldier be taken 
to her home. This was done and the operation was performed by 
Dr. White, removing the bullet. This operation was done without 
the administraton of anaesthetics. 

Captain Trafton, under the kindly ministrations of Mrs. Spaulding, 
was nursed back to strength and health. Captan Marrs, true to his 
comradeship, remained with him until he was out of danger. 
Captain Trafton was at Milledgeville five months. After his recovery 
he rejoined his command and was with it till the close of the war. 




;ii|i||^;;:l|i| 



CAPTAIN JAKE BENNETT, 
2a Capt. Co. A, 10th Ky., P. R. 



:^nr 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 277 

Returning home he resumed the practice of law. On November 
23, 1865, he was married to Miss Helen Gibbs. 

In 1871 Judge Trafton was elected as a Democrat (with which 
>arty he alwiays most zealously aifiliated) to the Kentucky Leg- 
islature, where he served on several prominent committees. He 
was for a number of years a law partner of Judge H. F. Turner, 
and this firm was one of the most largely patronized at that time. In 
social life Judge Trafton was a fine talker and full of humor. 

He died August 6, 1877, and is survived by a widow and one son, 
Spaulding Trafton, who resides with his family in Henderson, 
Kentucky. Remembering with gratitude the kindly attentions of Mrs. 
Mary Spaulding, he named his only son for her. 

Colonel Johnson first became acquainted with Captain Trafton 
at "chool; he had just recovered from the loss of his arm. But 
he soon taught his school-mates that he did not want nor would 
receive any consideration on account of his misfortune. In fact 
in all games he was one among the first to be chosen, and in civil 
life he displayed the same independence and courage. Colonel 
Johnson recognizing his ability, appointed him quartermaster and he 
proved to be one of the most competent in the service. And from 
that time he was the constant companion of Colonel Johnson, 
journeying with him through the woods on his frequent visits from 
Loint to point. He was with the command at the capture of 
Clarksville, and was one of the foremost in Martin's attack on Fort 
Donelson. He was also in the fight at Uniontown, and was one 
of the thirteen men who fought Shackelford at Geiger's Lake. 
He went South with Colonel Johnson when he reported at Bragg's 
headquarters at Glasgow, Kentucky. Returning then to Camp Cole- 
.. .'.:, he completed bis muster-rolls and carried them to Richmond, 
where he was commissioned, and appointed disbursing otficer. 

JACOB BENNETT. 

Captain Jacob Bennett was the youngest captain in Johnson's 
Partisan Rangers. He was a second lieutenant in Shacklet's reg- 
iment, the Eighth Kentucky. He resigned the day before the battle 
c'' Fort Donelson, shouldered a musket and went 

to the ranks and fought through that great bat- 
tle. Was sent to Camp Morton, when captured, as 
a prisoner, but escaped and joined Johnson in June, 1862; was 
one of the seven men v/ho fought the Federal cavalry at Mad- 



278 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

isonville; one of the twenty-seven men who captured Henderson, 
Kentucky, and Newburg, Indiana. Was elected first lieutenant of 
Company A, and became captain of that company on the resig- 
nation of Captain Ray; was at the capture of Hopkinsville, Clarks- 
ville, Uniontown, Owensboro, Sutherland's farm, and charged 
through the streets of Madisonville, carrying off a lieutenant as 
prisoner; was at the battle of Milton; flanked the Federals at Green 
river bridge, was in both battles of Lebanon, Kentucky, was one 
of the three captains who captured the steamboats on the Indiana and 
Ohio raid, and was one of the most prominent and conspicuous offi- 
cers in the conflicts and skirmishes that occurred on the expedition 
until Morgan was captured, and he. Captain Hockersmith and Sam 
Taylor were the real leaders in aiding John Morgan in escaping 
from the penitentiary. After which he went west in Tennessee, 
on Obion river, raised a company of thirteen men, and made a 
raid through Kentucky to the Ohio river, burning the wharf boat 
at Owensboro that was loaded with Federal supplies and guarded 
by negroes. He captured General Shackelford at Madisonville and 
prepared to shave his head in retaliation for being put in the Ohio 
penitentiary (Shackelford being in command when he was captured 
on the Ohio raid). It is said that Shackelford was to be married 
that night and many of Bennett's friends prevailed upon him to 
release the general without executing his threat. 

He returned to Obion river without the loss of a man, married 
and settled there, and after the war was elected sheriff and now has 
a position with the new penitentiary at Nashville. 

Captain Bennett's company was a part of General Adam R. 
Johnson's famous Partisan Rangers. There was, perhaps, no 
man in that regiment who was bolder or more fearless than was 
Captain Bennett. 

Major William J. Davis, adjutant general of the first brigade of 
Morgan's division, when the command was stationed near Liberty, 
Tennessee, early in 1863, was often on scouting parties behind the 
enemy's lines with detachments lof the Tenth Kentucky and other 
regiments of the brigade. He says of Captain Bennett: "Jake, 
afoot, seemed a great, overgrown, awkward country youth, but on 
horseback, his seat was firm, and he had the air of the true 
cavalryman; in action he was all alive, quick of motion, prompt, 
a fine shot, and in a hand-to-hand fight always got the best of his 
adversary — in a melee on the road, when opposing advance guards 




CAPT. SAM. G. WALL, 
2d Capt. Co. C, 10th Ky., P. R. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 27& 

were mixed pell-mell, he had no equal. He did a noble thing on 
the turnpike road between Lebanon and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 
one day: We had borne down on a long wagon train, escorted front 
and rear by Wilder's brigade of Federal cavalry, but protected 
by infantry marching on each side of the wagons, who resisted 
stoutly. Before we succeeded in cutting out and driving off a 
few dozen wagons and teams, the fighting was at close quarters 
and pretty hot. The Yankee " web-feet," after delivering their fire 
almost in our faces, used their bayonets to some effect as we 
rode into them. It was all 'over in a few minutes, but Jake got 
in some fine work. A sergeant of his company by his side was 
engaged with a Yankee who was in the act of running him through 
with the bayonet, while another had a bead drawn on Jake him- 
self; Jake, who saw every thing going on about him and kept in- 
variably a clear head, first shot the Federal who had his sergeant 
at disadvantage, then killed the one who threatened him — so quick 
it seemed like sleight of hand." 

SAM GARRET WALL. 

Captain Sam Garret Wall was born in Cynthiana, Harrison county, 
Kentucky, on the 22d of January, 1832. He lived at this place 
until his widowed mother married again and moved to Morganfield, 
Union county, Kentucky. When relieved from farm work he at- 
tended the public school at this place until 1849, when he became 
inspired with the gold fever and went across the plains to California. 

In 1851 he returned to his home with plenty of experience but 
little else, and took charge of the farm, as his step-father had died 
during his absence. He was married in January, 1852, to Miss 
Virginia Winston, and in April, 1853, a daughter was born to 
them. At the birth of the child the mother died. 

In April, 1862, he married a Miss America N. Metcalfe, and a 
year afterward a son, Sam G. Wall, Jr who is now living in 
Durango, Colorado, was bom to them. TChe Civil War opening 
just about this time, he raised a company in his home town and 
enlisted in the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, commanded by Colonel 
Adam R. Johnson. 

Captain Sam Wall was one of the best ofificers in the Con- 
federate service. He was a very temperate man and cool, calm 
and courageous, always at his post. His men loved him and 
obeyed him without a murmur. He was killed while leading his 



280 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

company in one of the most desperate charges of the war. His 
loss was a serious blow to the whole command. The action taken 
in the battle of Milton by the Tenth Kentucky has been described 
in Part I. of this narrative ; it was in this engagement that the 
gallant Captain Wall was killed. 

JOHN HAMILTON WALL. 

Lieutenant John Hamilton Wall was born in Cynthiana, Harrison 
county, Kentucky, September l5, 1836, his father George Wash- 
ington Wall died in 1838, and in 1841 his mother married a second 
time and with her husband, Colonel Thomas J. Clark, moved down 
to Morganfield, Kentucky, where Colonel Clark practiced law until 
1845. Securing a farm about ten miles out of Morganfield he 
moved his family there and put young John in the country school. 
He attended this school until 1851 when he was sent to Cynthiana to 
the Harrison Academy where he remained for two years, returning 
home in July, 1853. He settled down to farm work until 1861, 
when he was enrolled in Captain W. M. Sheppard's newly organ- 
ized company. Company 1, Third Kentucky Infantry, as a private 
and went into camp at Camp Boone on the Fourth of July of that 
year. He figured in all the movements of this company until 
after the Rochester trip. He retumed to Bowling Green with 
the regiment and was left there sick and for three weeks was 
unable to join his company. As soon as he was able to travel he 
joined his command on Green river and operated with them until 
after the battle of Shiloh, where, in a hand-to-hand fight he was 
shot through the body. Refusing assistance, he worked his way 
back to the Gamp out of which they had driven the Federals. He 
was placed in the field hospital and remained there some time. On 
the seventh of April, in company with several others, he started 
to Corinth, Mississippi, about eighteen miles ofif, and arrived at 
that place on the morning of the tenth of that month, 1862. He 
was sent to the Irving Block Hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, and 
after several weeks stay ran away, getting to his command in 
time to be in two skirmishes as well as the battle at Corinth. He 
was discharged at Holly Springs for physical disability and trans- 
portation was furnished himself and comrade as far as Franklin, 
Tennessee. From that point they started home on foot and 
near Hopkinsville fell in with General John Morgan. Being 
personally acquainted with the general he was re-enlisted, and at his 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 281 

request was sent to report to Colonel A. R. Johnson, who was then 
in his department near the Ohio river. He found Colonel R. M. 
Martin in command of Johnson's regiment at Providence and de- 
livered instructions to him.. He assisted both his brother and 
Colonel Martin in drilling their men until he was compelled to be 
sent home on a sick furlough. He carried with him orders for 
Captain E. H. Warthum, but found on his arrival that the captain 
had already gone South. While still an invalid he was captured by 
Captain Williams, who tried to compel him to pilot himelf and 
squad to several places they intended going, and although threatened 
with instant death if he refused, he was firm and told them they could 
hold him as prisoner but he would not guide them anywhere. With 
some others of Johnson's command he was confined in the Casey- 
ville prison, from there sent under guard to Henderson, thence 
to Johnson's Island. After several desperate attempts to escape, 
they were exchanged .and succeeded in joining their command at 
Turkey Neck Bend in time to participate in the Indiana and Ohio raid. 
L. D. Hockersmith was appointed captain and John Wall first lieuten- 
ant of Captain Sam Wall's old company. Lieutenant Wall was then 
placed in command of the wagon-trains and ordered to cross the 
mountains to Sweet Water Valley. Reaching that place, he reported 
to General J. C. Breckinridge and was ordered to use his men after 
the bushwhackers. He was engaged in this until sent to Chick- 
amjauga, where, the senior officers being absent, he led his company 
through that battle. He was in all the engagements with his 
command until Stoneman's raid, when he was wounded in the 
left arm, amputation being necessary. Seven weeks later he went 
with a scout following Sherman's raid until near the coast, where 
he again fell in with his command and remained with them until the 
surrender and was a part of the Jeff. Davis Guard. He reached 
home on the twenty-second of June, 1865, and with his brother 
began farming. A few months after his return he ran for county 
clerk, was elected and has served in that capacity for twenty 
years in Union county, Kentucky. He is still a vigorous and 
aggressive business man, and takes great interest in all public 
matters. 

PAUL J. MARRS. " 

Captain P. J. Marrs enlisted under Colonel E. G. Hall in the 
summer of 1862, who was recruiting a regiment for Johnson's 



282 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

brigade. Was appointed quartermaster of Colonel Hall's reg- 
iment soon after the attack on Fort Donelson, where our men killed 
so many of the Second Kansas regiment. Colonel Hall was sent 
into Union and Henderson counties for the purpose of filling up 
his regiment. Being in want of arms, Colonel Hall, with a detail 
of fifty men made a raid into hidiana on the little town of West 
Franklin, and captured a lot of guns and horses from the home 
guards. 

Some time in November I was sent with Captain William 
Quinn's company to arrange camp for the regiment at Shiloh 
Church, Hopkins county, Kentucky. While we were out ob- 
taining supplies we were attacked by Major Platter and part of the 
command was captured including Captain Quinn, Lieutenant De- 
Champ, Jim Quinn, Fred Powell, Chas. Wood, Jonas Noakes, B. 
M. Clay and myself. We were taken to Henderson, transferred 
to Mt. Vernon, thence to Evansville and kept in prison for a long 
time on account of our raid upon West Franklin. Through the 
persistent efforts of General A. R. Johnson we were transferred to 
prison at Indianapolis, thence to Johnson's Island, and finally 
exchanged at Fortress Monroe. On our exchange we were ordered 
to report to General A. R. Johnson, at Decatur, Georgia, who was 
then reorganizing the remainder of Morgan's command after the 
raid into Indiana and Ohio. After General Johnson got together 
three or four hundred of Morgan's men, he received orders 
to report to West Virginia and join General Morgan, after his 
escape from prison. 

On my amval at Wytheville, Virginia, General Johnson placed 
me in charge of men making saddles, harness, boots and shoes. 
Remained in charge until relieved by Lieutenant Joe Gathright. 

After the fight of General Morgan with General Averill at Crock- 
ett's Gap, 1 was ordered to report to General A. R. Johnson, at 
Decatur, Georgia, who was then equipping and organizing to go 
to Kentucky to recruit men in the rear of Sherman's army. The 
oificers under General A. R. Johnson consisted of Colonel Napier, 
Colonel J. Q. Chenoweth, Colonel Sid. Cunningham, Captain 
Thomas Johnson, Lieutenant Overton, Lieutenant Thornton, and 
myself quartermaster, other men selected to be officers of the 
different companies as they were recruited. Fift3^-two men in al! 
left Atlanta on July 3d, traveling the whole distance to Union 
county, Kentucky, without being molested or attacked by any 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 283 

Yankee commands, reached camp near Morganfield July 2 1st. 
General Johnson with his colonels, Napier, Chenoweth, 
Cunningham and L. A. Sypert, recruited and organized some two 
thousand seven hundred men within a short period lof thirty days. 
During this short stop in Kentucky we created considerable excite- 
ment. Captured two or three steamboats on Caseyville bar with 
large quantities of commissaries, stores, cattle, horses and large 
quantity of money from quartermaster's department. Some two 
or three hundred head of cattle were turned loose in Union and 
other counties in western Kentucky. During the time that we 
were recruiting the Federals sent somiC fifteen of twenty thousand 
men after us, consisting of General Hobson's command of ten 
thousand and General A. P. Hovey of Mt. \'ernon with five 
thousand men. It became evident that we should get out of 
Kentucky; Captain Johnson and myself were ordered to locate camp 
at Bruce's Mill, for the whole command, couriers being sent to all 
commands to meet at that point. Captain Johnson -or myself 
issued rations for men and horses to the number of one thousand 
seven hundred on Saturday and we started that night on our 
way South. We struck a trail of a heavy force of Yankees that 
night and found them in camp at Grubbs' Crossroads. The 
general decided to surround the camp that night and attack them at 
daylight. Colonel Cunningham was sent around on the right, 
Colonel Napier was sent around on the rear of the 'camp and 
Colonel Sypert's regiment occupied the left. At da3'light Gen- 
eral Johnson with Colonel Chenoweth's regiment charged them 
in front and captured the whole camp with all their horses and 
men, with the exception of one company. During the fight it 
was so foggy it was almost impossible to distinguish our men from 
the Yankees. I think Colonel Napier's men mistook Chenoweth's 
men for the Yankees and fired on them. This was when Col- 
onel Johnson was wounded. Colonel Chenoweth's horse was shot 
from under him and my horse was wounded in several places. 

On account of our command being short of ammunition, we 
were compelled to fall back, taking with us some tAvo hundred 
prisoners, horses, wagons, etc. Colonel Johnson was led off the 
field by Lieutenant Thornton. 

Colonel Napier, being the senior colonel, declined to take com- 
mand of our men and turned over the command to Colonel 
Chenoweth. We immediately started on our way South and were 



284 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

compelled to leave General Johnson at a farm house during the 
day. Colonel Chenoweth prepared and crossed a large portion of 
the men over Cumberland river at Canton, Kentucky. Before we 
had all gotten over we were attacked by Hobson's command and 
those that did not cross were scattered considerably, but they crossed 
the river in a few days and reported at camp near Paris, Ten- 
nessee. General Forrest being in Tennessee at that time, our 
command was attached to his and we were all present at the 
destruction of Johnsonville, Tennessee. After this fight Colonel 
Chenoweth sent me with a detail of men into Kentucky to pilot 
Major Owsley's command across the Cumberland and Tennessee 
rivers, which was done very successfully. Our command was 
afterwards turned over to General Lyon, who had made a raid 
in Kentucky of considerable importance. 

We were kept in Western Tennessee and Northern Mississippi 
during the remainder of the war. After the surrender of Lee many 
of us found our way home, and surrendered to the Federals. 

I will add to this something that very few soldiers of the Con- 
federate army can say. The horse that I rode into the Confederate 
army, I rode home. This needs some explanation. When I was 
captured by Colonel Flatter, the horse was sold in Henderson by 
the Government and Governor Arch Dixon bought the horse and 
used him while I was in prison. When I came into Kentucky 
with General A. R. Johnson, Governor Dixon sent me word that 
the horse was in fine shape and if I wanted him he would send him 
to some convenient place that I might get him. I sent for the 
horse and rode him all through the remainder of the war to Ten- 
nessee, Mississippi and part of Georgia, and when I returned home 
I brought the horse and returned him to Governor Dixon, who 
used him as a buggy horse for many years afterwards. 

BARTLETT LOUIS GOOCH. 

Bartlett Louis Gooch, who resides in Nebo county, was a hero 
during the war between the States. He was born August 24, 
1846, and enlisted in the Southern army July 4, 1862, being then 
only sixteen years old. 

Young Gooch joined Captain Adam R. Johnson's company of the 
Breckinridge Guards, Kentucky Cavalry, and was in all the fighting 
of the Tenth Kentucky until he was captured at Cheshire, in Ohio, 
July 20, 1863. After his capture he was taken to Camp Douglas 




MRS. FRANK AMPLIAS OWEN. 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 285 

where he was held prisoner for some time. He surrendered to 
the inevitable at Washington, Georgia, the last of April, 1865. 

Mr. Gooch was with Morgan on his raid through Kentucky, 
Indiana and Ohio. He served as a private and was in a number of 
engagements, but managed to escape unharmed. After the war 
he returned to his home in Kentucky and has for many years been 
a successful farmer in Nebo county, where he is respected by 
all who know him. 

Major Amplias Owen writes, "I send you Bart. L. Gooch's 
record. He is a collateral descendant of Governor Gooch of 
Virginia. The Tenth Kentucky could boast of many brave men 
T3ut none braver than Bart. Gooch of the Old Guard." 

FRANK AMPLIAS OWEN. 

Frank Amplias Owen enlisted as a private in Company A, Eighth 
Kentucky Infantry, at the age of sixteen. He was wounded and 
■captured at the battle of Fort Donelson and imprisoned at Camp 
Morton, from where he and Thomas Carlisle escaped during a 
heavy rain and thunder storm. Walking through the country to 
Evansville, Indiana, he embarked on the steamer Storm, bound 
for Green river, arriving at his home eight days after leaving 
Indianapolis. Soon thereafter Colonel Adam R. Johnson and 
Lieuteuiant Colonel Bob Martin went into that section to raise a 
regiment of cavalry. He enlisted with them and was elected second 
lieutenant of Company A of that regiment. 

He commanded the remnant of that old regiment as the rear 
guard of General John H. Morgan's command from Cheshire to the 
surrender, near Zanesville, Ohio. He was imprisoned at Camp Chase 
for three weeks, removed to Johnson's Island, Ohio, and was 
paroled for exchange but the exchange was stopped and he was 
there until the war closed. He was released on parole June 22, 
1865, and arrived home on the 26th. 

MRS. FRANK AMPLIAS OWEN. 

To Major Frank A. Owen's courtesy and energy is due most 
of the material for sketches of the company officers of the Partisan 
dangers and the muster-rolls of the several companies. It should 
be said, however, that in this work he has had the assistance of 
liis nrc(Mnplished wife, to whom these compilations, on account of 



286 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

her strong Confederate sympathies and connections, have been "a 
labor of love." Major and Mrs. Owen may be regarded as typical 
Americans; each is descended from a long line of honorable an- 
cestry, whose services to their country were illustrated in the 
Colonial and Revolutionary wars; each had many relatives in the 
Confederate army, distinguished for courage and conduct. Mrs. 
Owen is the granddaughter of Captain Payne Dixon (brother of 
Governor Archibald Dixon), a soldier in the 'War of 1812," and 
of the Kentucky contingent at the battle of New Orleans. She is 
the daughter of Captain Richard M. Allin, who, with his brothers, 
Major Phil. T. Allin and Lieutenant Jack Allin, served with credit 
in the Confederate army. This esteemed couple now reside in 
Evansville, Indiana, and with their five children, Allin, Abram, Ruth, 
Keturah and Dorothy, constitute a happy family, famous for its 
hospitality. 

WILLIAM CURRENS DIMMITT. 

There was perhaps no member of the Partisan Rangers better 
or more favorable known to the people of this section of the country 
than was Captain Dimmitt. 

He was known in various ways, as a teacher, a citizen, as a 
preacher, as a warrior, and was esteemed for his high moral char- 
acter. 

He was born in Germantown, Mason county, Kentucky, April 4, 
1825. He attended school at Bethany, Virginia, and was a student 
under Alexander Campbell. In 1846 Mr. Dimmitt joined the 
[ ministry and up to the time of his death, less inan two years ago, 

I he was a minister of the Christian church. Kentucky has pro- 

duced few men who have done more preaching during their live* 
than did this man. He was a man who never seemed to tire in 
the Master's cause. Hundreds and perhaps thousands were brought 
into the church under his ministry. 

Mr. Dimmitt, being a Southern man with Southern sympathies, 
went into the Southern army near the beginning of the war. In 
1862 he organized Company K of the Tenth Kentucky Partisan 
Rangers. He held the place of captain for some time and then 
became chaplain. As a soldier he was brave and fearless and held 
the respect and confidence of his men. After the war Captain 
Dimmitt again took up the work of the ministry and for many 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 287 

years was pastor of the church at Grape Vine. He also taught 
school and as an instructor had great success. 

He married Miss A. F. Winstead, and to them were born several 
children, most of whom are still living. More than twenty-five 
years ago he removed to Texas where he was actively engaged in 
the ministry until death came to him on the twenty-first day of 
December, 1901. 

JAMES WALLER. 

James Waller was born in Granville county. North Carolina, 
January, 1837. Emigrated with his parents to Hopkins county, 
Kentucky, in 1850. He was a brother of Dr. J. S. Waller, of 
Hanson. His parentage on both sides was descended from Rev- 
olutionary stock. A maternal uncle held a captaincy in the Con- 
tinental army in the struggle for American independence while a 
cousin of his mother, John Forsythe, was the secretary of State 
in President Jackson's cabinet. There were other relatives who took a 
prominent part in securing the independence of this country. 

Young Waller received only such attention as was afforded by 
the common schools at that time. He took advantage of this and 
by perseverance managed to secure a very good education for 
boys of his age and opportunity. The young man had just 
reached the years of freedom from parental restraints and was 
looking around to determine on a course which he should pursue 
in the way of a profession, when the war between the States broke 
out, and as he was an intensely Southern man in his opinions, he 
^'as arrested as a Southern sympathizer and sent to prison on 
Johnson's Island in the fall of 1863, where he remained three or 
four months. 

From Johnson's Island he was sent by way of Washington, D. 
C, when he was exchanged. He, with a number of other comrades 
made their way back to Kentucky and enlisted in the Confederate 
army. In April, 1864, he was engaged with Captain (afterwards 
Colonel) Hollis in recruiting what was known as HoUis's company. 
He was engaged with Colonel Hollis in a minor fight at Slaugh- 
tersville in July, 1864, when Hollis was killed. Not a great while 
after this battle Waller was elected First Lieutenant of Company 
A, Captain January's company. 

Company A went into Chenoweth's Kentucky regiment at the 
formation of General Adam R. Johnson's brigade at Providence 



288 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

(Bruce's Mill) in August, 1864. About the twentieth of this 
month, General Johnson began making his way South. At Grubbs 
Crossroads, seven miles east of Princeton, he encountered a small 
body of Federals. This was tor Johnson an unfortunate aflfair, as 
it was here that he lost his eyes and was forever made a blind man. 

It was at the battle of Grubbs- Crossroads that George Riddle 
and John Brown, of Hopkins county, two brave soldiers, lost their 
lives. The writer of this article was a witness to the shooting 
of General Johnson. He was sitting on his horse about ten paces 
from the general at the time the wound was received. Johnson 
was seen to throw his hands to his face and requested to be taken 
from the field; after being placed in the ambulance about one mile 
from the battle ground, I did not see him again until about two 
o'clock in the afternoon. It was then that I heard him give 
orders that his brigade be taken South and report to General Bed- 
ford Forrest for duty. General Johnson had received a wound 
that shot out both his eyes. He was suffering intensely and it 
was at his request that he was left at a farm house which was 
done, a few miles north of Cadiz. The brigade reached Canton^ 
on the Cumberland, about ten o'clock at night, and ignoring the 
order to cross the river, at once went into camp for the night. 
About four 'O'clock the next morning we were surprised by a 
regiment of Federal soldiers under command of Colonel Hawkins. 
Lieutenant Waller, in the absence of the captain, attempted to form 
his company for battle. While engaged in his duty he was shot 
from his horse and expired in a few minutes. The body of 
Lieutenant Waller was given decent burial by the good people of 
Canton. After four months it was taken from where it had been 
Iraried, carried by kind hands to Olive Branch Cemetery in Hopkins 
county where it was deposited. Lieutenant Waller was a brave 
soldier and now he sleeps peacefully beneath the sod of his beloved 
county. 

MILAM M. SISK. 

Milam M. Sisk was born in Hopkins county, July 4th, 1820, and 
was reared on a farm where he lived till the breaking out of the 
war in the sixties. He was related to the Sisks of the county and 
was known as a brave man. 

In 1862 he enlisted in Company I, Tenth Kentucky Partisan 
Rangers and was elected as orderly sergeant of his company. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 289 

He was in a number of battles and in all these showed that he 
was well worthy the name of soldier. He was in fights at Mad- 
isonville, Hopkinsville, Clarksville, Uniontown, Owensboro, Panther 
Creek, Elizabethtown, Ashbyburg, Muldraugh's Hill, all in Kentucky, 
and was at Liberty and Snow Hill in Tennessee and was on Mor- 
gan's raid into Indiana and Ohio where he was captured at Cheshire. 

Mr. Sisk was sent to Camp Douglas, where he died the twenty- 
third day of July, 1864. He left a family of seven children, several 
of whom are still living. 

W. D. BROWN. 

I joined Company I, Tenth Kentucky Regiment in the fall of 
1862, and that night we went to Hopkinsville, captured some 
Federal forces early the next morning. In a day or two at Clarks- 
ville, Tennessee, we captured Colonel Mason's regiment lof Federals 
without firing a gun. A few weeks later while in company with 
Captain Christy, and Ide and Charles Robertson, we were attacked 
in the rear by some Federal troops. In our retreat my horse 
fell with me, and thinking he was shot, I undertook to make my 
escape on foot but was captured. This took place where Dawson 
City now stands; there was no city there then. Was carried 
to Madisonville, kept a prisoner in court house for a day or two, 
thence to Henderson, transported to Evansville on a boat. While 
at Henderson, W. C. McGary and F. W. Nisbet called on me and 
offered to go my security if I would take the oath and return 
home. This was of course very kind, but I declined, so that night 
I spent in jail at Evansville. That was the extent of my jail 
service. The next day we went to Johnson's Island where we 
spent the winter. As good luck would have it they did not relieve 
me of my cash which was about fifty dollars. It came in mighty 
handy to supplement our supplies, as I was about the only one 
in the mess that was supplied with cash. I bought flour, butter, 
lard and whatever else we needed for our comfort. I had the good 
fortune to get into block No. 2, in a room with George Bronough, 
Sam Greenfield, Dr. Jack Nisbet, Jim Davis, Dr. M. B. Winstead 
and Bill Stiles. The last two named were held as spies. - A dirty 
scoundrel got Dr. Winstead to take a letter to deliver to Mat or 
Chit. Lyon purporting to be about a patent loom, when in fact 
it was a diagram of the Federal camp at Henderson. The other 
gentlemen were civilians, except Jim Davis. Stiles and myself 



290 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

would carry in our rations of fuel for the day and night; Davis 
prepared our meals while the others would entertain company, 
play seven-up and euchre. Thus time passed until spring, when 
an exchange was arranged and the civilians were sent home; the 
soldiers were sent to Jamestown, Virginia. Dr. Winstead slipped 
out of Johnson's Island on his nephew's name, Frank Winstead. 
The mistake was discovered and a terrible effort was made to 
recapture Winstead. We were halted in front of Fortress Monroe 
and a thorough search was made of our boat, but no one would 
point out Winstead to the searchers, so he went through. I reached 
my regiment again at Turkey Neck Bend on the Cumberland river, 
started on the Indiana and Ohio raid, lost my horse, and 
was left in company with Captain Christy, Dr. Winstead and Cy. 
Crabtree. We visited Hopkins county. I made the trip on a blind 
mule; 1 set it adrift near my old home and secured a horse from 
my brother Fletcher's home. After a time a lot of us started out 
through the Kentucky Purchase; near Princeton we captured a 
Federal regimental officer and some recruits, while having a high time 
with their best girls. We paroled them and on we went. We 
finally reached General Forrest's command, cast my lot with the 
Eighth Kentucky Regiment, Captain F. B. Harris's company, was 
captured near Franklin, Tennessee, made my escape, joined the 
regiment and surrendered at Columbus, Georgia. 

THOMAS M. BROOKS. 

Mr. Thomas M. Brooks was bom in Princeton, Ky., April 21, 
1842. At the age of one year moved to Madisonville. With the 
exception of the time he was in the war, Mr. Brooks has been a 
citizen of this town. When the war between the States broke out 
Mr. Brooks, then a young man, enlisted in Company K, Partisan 
Rangers, Tenth Kentucky Regiment. 

He was engaged in many battles and skirmishes during the war, 
and at all times showed himself to be a brave man. He was in 
the battles of Baker Creek, Elizabethtown, Muldra-ugh's Hill—all 
in Kentucky — and was in the battle of Lookout Mountain, Tennes- 
see. He was with Longstreet at Knoxville; was at Tunnel Hill and 
Atlanta, and was with General Williams when General Stoneman 
was captured at Stone Mountain. 

Mr. Brooks was finally captured, and at the end of the war paroled 
at Washington, Georgia, with a comrade whose name was Polk 




LIEUTENANT POLK LAFFOON, 
Co. I. ICtKKy., Cav. 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 291 

Prince. Both Prince and Brooks were very much worn and debili- 
tated. Prince was not abie to travel and Brooks, gave a widow by 
the name of Arnold a mule to board him and Prince for two months. 
Although Mr. Brooks wanted to return home to his family in Ken- 
tucky, yet he would not desert his friend till both were able to travel. 
Mr. Prince returned home, is now a farmer in splendid condition, 
has a happy family and lives near Guthrie. 

Mr. Brooks is now a citizen of Madisonville. The kindness he 
showed his comrade during the war is an evidence of the kindly 
disposition (5f the man. There is no one who is more ready to help 
a friend in need than is Mr. Brooks. 

- POLK LAFFOON. 

Polk Laffoon was born in Hopkins county, Kentucky, on the 24th 
day of October, 1844, and remained on the farm till he was fourteen 
years old, receiving what education the common school afforded. 
He was then placed in school at Madisonville, Ky., under Professor 
Maurice Kirby, where he received the most of his education. He 
was with Colonel Al Fowler in the battle of Burnt Mill, Webster 
county, Ky., on the I3th of July, 1861. He was practically a 
soldier from that date, but was not formally enlisted into the Con- 
federate army until the 12th of October, 1861. He was second 
lieutenant of Company I, Eighth Kentucky Infantry, commanded 
by Captain James Powell, the regiment being commanded by 
General H. B. Lyon. His regiment brought on the battle in concert 
with the First and Second Mississippi and Seventh Texas Regiments 
on the bloody Saturday, and was the largest loser on that day. He, 
with his regiment, was captured on that day, was sent to prison, 
first to Camp Chase, then to Johnson's Island and was exchanged 
at Vicksburg on the 16th day of September,- 1862, and went into 
camp at Canton, Mississippi, where, owing to the dilapidation of 
the companies of the regiment they were consolidated, and by 
Lieutenant Laffoon's request he was omitted from the first officers. 
He immediately came to Kentucky on recruiting service, and found 
that General A. R. Johnson had left the State. He joined General 
Johnson's regiment at Camp Winroe, Tennessee, where he was 
elected Second Lieutenant of Company I, Tenth Kentucky 
Cavalry, commanded by Captain John H. Christy. This was about 
the l5th of October, 1862. From that date until the close of the 



292 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Indiana and Ohio raid he was with General John H. Morgan on all 
his raids and in all the battles of any note. 

He was captured on this raid and confined in the Pennsylvania 
penitentiary for nine months, and at Fort Delaware and Point 
Lookout until the close of the war, when he was released from 
prison and arrived at his home on the 24th of June, 1865. He 
taught school in Christian county for two years, and in Trigg and 
Logan counties, during which time he studied law at night. He 
entered the practice of law in the fall of '67 and has been a continual 
practitioner since. He was elected county attorney of Hofkins county 
in 1872 without opposition. In 1884 he was elected by the Demo- 
crats of the Second Congressional District of Kentucky a member 
of the Forty-ninth Congress and was re-elected to the Fiftieth 
Congress in 1886. 

ALFRED RICHESON. 

Captain Alfred Richeson was born in Louisville, Kentucky, July 
18, 1830, and was the second son of Alfred Richeson and Elizabeth 
Williamson Richeson of Amherst county, Virginia. He was educated 
at the University of Virginia and at West Point. He was six feet 
six inches m height, with steel gray eyes, light brown hair, and 
weighed about 275 pounds. 

Captain Richeson was a man of wonderful personal magnetism, 
a thorough linguist, a finished scholar, and having traveled over 
most of the civilized world, he was possessed of a fund of anecdotes 
and reminiscences which, accompanied by his intelligent face and 
most perfect physique, qualified him to be a leader among men. 

He was a faithful, devoted friend and a fearless and dreaded foe; 
and during the troublous times of old Kentucky during the sixties 
he, with the rest of Colonel Adam Johnson's men, made an im- 
perishable record. 

He enlisted in the Confederate service in Union county,, Kentucky, 
during the winter of '62 or '63 and was made captain of Company 
E, Colonel Adam R. Johnson's Tenth Regiment, Partisan Rangers, 
C S. A. 

He was in several engagements, the most important of which were 
the fight near Clarksville, Tennessee, near Owensboro, Kentucky, 
at Uniontown, Kentucky, and at Geiger's Lake, Union county, Ken- 
tucky, and with several of his men was captured in '63 and sent 




CAPT. ALFRED RICHESON. 
Co. E, 10th Ky. Cav. 



\ 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 293 

1o the prison on Johnson's Island near Sandusky, OhiO', where he 
was finally exchanged and returned to Richmond for orders. 

He was foully murdered by some of the carpetbaggers who cursed 
West Tennessee with their nefarious plots during '69 and 70. His 
•death occurred in October, 1870. 

JOHN a FIELDS. 

After Morgan's Ohio raid in July, 1863, I escaped and joined the 
command of General John S. Williams, which was camped at 
Panther Springs, nineteen miles northwest of Saltville, Virginia, 
and seven miles from Tazewell Court House (or Jeffersonville). 
This was about July 23d or 24th. 1 was ordered by General 
Williams on the 26th to take a volunteer scout and go in the 
direction of Bland Court House, West Virginia, and ascertain the. 
whereabouts of the enemy. The detachment left camp about two 
or three a. m., and after proceeding eight or ten miles (in a heavy 
fog), we heard horses tramping on the Blue Lick and Wytheville 
Road about one mile to our left; the volunteers refused to proceed 
further, and I ordered them back to camp. Then proceeding alone 
to the junction of the roads and being in a blue uniform, I was 
enabled to maneuver unmolested until the main column of the 
Federal troops passed by. Falling in the rear of said column, I 
followed it for a mile, when an officer dropped out of the line and 
stopped at a house on the roadside for refreshments, which he 
never got, as I then rode up and captured him, making him mount 
his mule and accompany me by a circuitous route to General 
Williams's headquarters. The officer proved to be Captain John 
Cutler, of Company C, Thirty-fourth Ohio Mounted Infantry, 
and officer of the day. In 1895 I located the captain at Arkadelphia, 
Arkansas, where he had lived since 1872. We had quite an amusing 
correspondence. He wrote me that the capture of him and the 
" other donkey " caused him nineteen months of prison life. I 
returned him the officer's sash he wore that day, which he was 
very thankful to receive. I remained with General Williams until 
January 18, 1864. Then proceeded to Decatur, Georgia, where 
General A. R. Johnson was re-organizing the remnant of General 
Morgan's command. In March we were ordered to Wytheville, 
Virginia. On our arrival the day was bright and pleasant, and the 
birds were chirping in the trees as we marched into the fair 
grounds, and everything indicated that spring had opened. We 



294 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

were thinly clad and had only one thin blanket, and no tent or 
protection from the weather; and when we awakened next morning 
we were all covered with snow. We left Wytheville early in May 
for Saltville, Virginia. Almost immediately after our arrival at 
Saltville we were ordered aboard of the cars for Dublin, Virginia, 
to re-enforce General Jenkins. The engine that pulled our train 
jumped the track a few miles from Saltville, causing considerable 
delay; hence, when we did reach Dublin, General Jenkins's troops 
were in full retreat; but when our little band of about four hundred 
appeared on the field the Federals were driven back for a consid- 
erable distance, when they succeeded in making a stand, and 
re-enforcements being brought up, we were forced back, but in good 
order, until ;^'e crossed New river. They followed us no farther. 
Afterward we returned to Saltville and Abingdon, where prepara- 
tions were being made for Morgan's last raid into Kentucky, which 
began the last day of May, 1864. The first night after leaving 
Abingdon we camped in Moccasin Gap lon Moccasin creek. The 
second night we camped on Clinch river, and the third night, at 
Pound Gap, on the Cumberland mountains. During the night the 
woods in which we were camped caught fire, causing considerable 
excitement. During the confusion a man on a white horse dashed 
into the camp and out ; he was believed to have been a Federal scout, 
but was not killed or captured on account of the confusion existing. 
Nothing of interest occurred until on the 5th, when a bushwhacker 
fired on our men. He was shot and his body left in the fence corner 
on the roadside. We went into camp nearby. It was at this place 
that private Ben G. Slaughter (known in the command as 
" Squirrel ") attempted to rob a bee-hive of the old log-make style, 
during the absence of the owner. In attempting to extract the 
honey from the hive, his hands became fastened in the cross-pieces 
and he was fearfully stung. The bees were so wrought up that we 
had to tear the fence down and pass the column around next morning. 
" Squirrel " said he had found the remedy for bee-sting, which 
remedy was honey, and he made a copious application, both 
externally and internally. We reached the hills above Mt. Sterling, 
Kentucky, June 8th at sundown, and went into camp in a beautiful 
small woodland pasture. The command was in fine spirits, but, alas, 
many of them were to be left on that field to answer no more to 
roll-call. The Yankees reported that there were found one hundred 
and forty-seven killed and wounded on the field. The picket was 




JOHN D. FIELDS, M. D. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 295 

In charge of Lieutenant Colonel Brent with orders to place them 
about one and a half miles back on the Ticktown road; but from 
some cause he placed them only a few hundred yards from our 
camp. At daylight the next morning, June 9th, the Federals drove 
in the pickets, and followed them so close that they were right 
on the camp before we had any warning. A heavy fog was all 
that saved us from capture. The Federals did not know where we 
were camped as we were in the pasture a short distance from the 
lodd. The first of the Federals passed by on the road, and when the 
second part of the regiment came up Lieutenant Colonel Martin 
had succeeded in forming a line of battle over in a wheat-field and 
behind a fence about one hundred and fifty yards from the road 
the Yankees were in, and fired a volley into them. They cried out : 
^' Don't fire; you are firing into your own men.'* Colonel Martin 
commanded us to give it to them. At this time they ran a piece 
of artillery up and fired it over in the direction of Mt. Sterling, it 
seemed to me. The right flank of our line was near the road, so 
we just dashed over the fence and captured the gun, but they got 
away with the caisson. So we rammed the cannon full of rock and 
clay and abandoned it. About this time I was badly wounded by 
being shot through the right shoulder, which bled very profusely, 
and in the course of an hour I became so weak and blind I could 
not go any farther, so lay down in the wheat-field and rooted my 
shoulder into the soft ground to see if it would not stop the flow 
of blood. The last thing I can remember was lying on my right 
side and seeing the heads of wheat dancing about as the bullets hit 
them. I knew nothing more for some time after the battle was 
£nded. When I came to I was lying on my back and my clothing 
was wet, for it had rained. I crawled to the fence a short distance 
from where I had lain down (Lieutenant Joseph Sellers had found 
me lying on my right side, turned me over on my back and reported 
me dead), and pulled myself up by the fence. As soon as I got 
up straight I heard a rattling of a saber in the scabbard of some one 
on horseback, and knowing that our men did not use them, I let 
go the fence and lay down just as a drunken Irish soldier came up. 
He said : " Hello, Johnnie, don't you want to be an angel ? " I 
told him " Yes;" and he said: " I will assist you," pulling his pistol 
at the same time. Just then a lieutenant rode up and asked the 
soldier what he was doing. He said here was a Johnnie that wanted 
to be an angel, and he- wanted to assist him. The officer upbraided 



296 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

him, and came up to the fence, asking me if 1 was much hurt, and 
after receiving my reply, got off his horse and climbed over the 
fence, and gave me some apple brandy which revived me very 
much. Then he ordered two stretcher-bearers to take me to a 
house near by. A man by the name of Thomas lived there. I 
was kept here about two weeks under guard with others, when 1 
made my escape and went to Mr. James Hamilton's on or near 
Slate creek, about seven miles from Mt. Sterling. 1 was not at 
Mr. Hamilton's more than two days before a woman betrayed me, 
and the next morning at daylight a company of Federals were 
around the house. The captain called Mr. Hamilton to the door 
and asked him if he had a wounded rebel at his house. Mr. Hamilton 
replied that he had a wounded boy in the house. After some parley 
the captain and his lieutenant came in where I was. The captain 
asked me where I was from. I told him 1 was from Knox county, 
Tennessee. He remarked that most of the people in that county 
were Union people. I said yes, my father was a Union man. He 
said: ''What are you doing in the rebel army?" and I told him 
I had been conscripted, and that I wanted to take the oath. He 
then asked me if I could ride horseback. I told him I was so weak 
i could hardly sit up. He then asked Mr. Hamilton if he had a 
hack or buggy; but he did not have either. So he said he would 
leave me there and send an ambulance out for me next morning. 
When the ambulance came i was twenty-one miles from there, up 
in the mountains at a Mr. Hov/ard's. After recuperating for a few 
days, I commenced gathering men together to go South. In one 
of my trips I went up on the Red Fork of Kentucky river and came 
near being captured again. We, five of us, had just gone into a 
house to get breakfast; the men had sat down, and just as I pulled 
the chair out to take a seat an old hound barked, and I looked out 
and saw about forty Yanks coming double-quick down on the house. 
1 ordered the men to run out of the front door, as the Yanks were 
on us. They lost no time in doing so. We kept the house between 
us and them until we got into the brush, but just as we entered into 
the woods they fired a volley into us, but, fortunately, did no 
damage. They got my hat that I had left outside of the house, and 
hastily departed. After going about a mile they ran across one of 
my recruits by the name of Thomas Symes and killed him, and in 
the excitement they lost my hat, which Mrs. Smith, the lady of 
the house where poor Symes was killed, brought up to me. The 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 297 

Yankees told Mrs. Smith that they had killed all of us. We gathered 
together twenty-seven men hastily, including Captain Kidd's 
'' bushwhackers," and followed the Yankees, and made them pay 
dearly for poor Symes. We killed twenty-seven out of forty men. 
This was about the middle of August, 1864. In a few days we 
collected forty-five men and went out, joining General J. H. Morgan 
at Abingdon, Virginia, August 29th, 1864, only a few days before 
he moved into Tennessee. He appointed me first lieutenant of 
Company B, Fourteenth Kentucky, Colonel Dick Morgan's regiment. 
I was at Greenville when he was killed. My wound became trouble- 
some and I was ordered back to my old home at Abingdon, Virginia, 
to recruit my company. 1 was near Pound Gap, Cumberland moun- 
tains, when General Lee surrendered. 

I was born April 19, 1845, and at the breaking out of the war 
in March, 1861, joined Captain Tiller's Partisan Rangers. They 
were disbanded in September, when I joined Captain Thomas Allen's 
company, Morgan's squadron, near Bowling Green, about the latter 
part of October, 1861, and was with this company until Quirk's 
Scouts, of the same command, was organized, and belonged to it 
until we became Company B of the Fourteenth Kentucky Cavalry. 

[Note by the Editor. — Dr. Fields settled in Texas soon after the 
war closed, studied medicince, and obtained his diploma at New^ 
Orleans; purchased land near Manor, Texas, where he now lives, 
and has been very successful in the practice of medicine; has a 
splendid farm and several large ranches, and, like all good soldiers, 
has made a good citizen and is prosperous.] 

BEN. F. PERKINS. 

I was sworn into the service of the Confederate States by Gen- 
eral Johnson on the street in Madisonville, Hopkins county, 
Kentucky, in August, 1862, and served till the end of the war; was 
wounded at Cynthiana, Kentucky, at the last battle General Morgan 
had there. When our brigade was surrounded by an overwhelming 
force, I escaped by swimming the river, although suffering from a 
severe wound in the calf of my leg, and made my way to the White 
Sulphur Springs in Union county, Kentucky, and soon attached 
myself to the Thirteenth Kentucky Cavalry then in process of 
formation and commanded by Colonel Sypert. 

In a few days I was selected with Major Taylor and White Canton 
[(an escaped prisoner from Johnson's Island) to meet General 



298 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Johnson and Colonel J. Q. Chenoweth at ■ — old mill, and 

pilot that command to Sypert's camp at White Sulphur Springs. 
Soon we all moved several miles above Providence, and while in 
camp there General Payne, from Paducah, landed a large force 
of Federals at Uniontown, and 1 was detailed to go to Morganfield 
that night, and to send a man back to report to Johnson. 1 sent 
Mr. Thomas Omer. I followed Payne down the road to the Dodge. 
Hill in Union county, and just before he reached this point I took 
a near cut through the woods with my little squad and ambushed 
his force. There were but six of us, but we stampeded Payne's entire 
brigade, and thereby saved a good many horses and other property 
that they were taking off. At Caseyville they reported that they 
had been attacked by " Stovepipe " Johnson and two thousand 
guerrillas. 

I shall only add that I began as a private and ended, as my parole 
shows, as first lieutenant. 

THE DEATH OF COLONEL WILLIAM HOLLIS. 

BY FRANK A. OWEN. 

I write the following sketch, hoping that it may be of some 
interest, at least to my old comrades-in-arms : 

Colonel William Hollis was raising a regiment for Colonel Adam 
R. Johnson's command early in the summer of 1863. Upon the 
25th day of June, with all the armed and unarmed men that he 
had at his command, he chased Payne's company to Uniontown, 
but his force was not sufficient to take him by assault in his 
fortified position, so he surrounded the place and kept him and his 
men close prisoners for three days, capturing some of his outposts 
every night. Generally he would get all the horses on the picket, 
the men often escaping on foot under cover of the darkness, to 
their camps. Learning one day that there was a strong relief com- 
ing to Payne's assistance,-^ Hollis retired to Slaughtersville, in 
Webster county, on the 27th of June, where he had notified his men 
to rendezvous on the 28th, preparatory to going South to meet 
Johnson. Colonel Hollis, with about four hundred and fifty of his 
men, four hundred of whom were unarmed, had arrived in 
Slaughtersville and had picketed every road in very soldierly fashion. 
In the early afternoon two of his officers, unfortunately, had a 
private difficulty, one shooting and badly wounding the other. 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 299 

Hollis's picket, thinking that it was the enemy firing, rallied upon 
the camp, and upon discovering theh- mistake, were returning to 
their posts near Captain Thomas Drake's farm when they met 
Payne's battalion of Thirty-fifth Kentucky Infantry, and an Illinois 
company of cav.alry, which had already reached the limits of the 
town. The Confederate pickets fired upon them fnom a point near 
the farm, then retired hastily to their camp west of the creek, an 
old railroad dump, the road not having been completed at that 
time. The Federals made a charge and dismounted in the old 
creek-bed. A hot skirmish ensued and a large number of the 
unarmed Confederates retreated from the field. At this critical 
moment Colonel Hollis was shot in the head and killed instantly. 
As soon as this became generally known among his small force of 
raw, undisciplined recruits, they fled in despair at losing their leader, 
and left several wounded and killed upon the battleground. William 
Duvall, one of Hollis's best men, was found several days later in a 
briar patch, a Yankee bullet having struck him to kill. Rev. 
William Wright, a minister in the Old Baptist church, thoroughly 
reliable and still in active service as a minister of the gospel, made 
this statement to me : ''I was a member of Company D, Captain 
Payne's company of mounted infantry, and my company was in 
advance at the battle of Slaughtersville. We met a squad of Con- 
federates and they fired on us from the top of a rise near Dr. Drake's 
old residence. Captain Payne ordered us to charge and in less 
than a half minute the dust had obscured both friend and foe. A 
number of women ran out in the street in front of us and told us 
not to go on, for the Confederates were too many for us. At the 
time we thought that they were our friends, but now we doubt it. 
We did n*ot heed their warning, but charged on to the bed of the 
old creek, and there dismounted. We immediately began firing upon 
the rebels who were beyond the main creek that was about half 
full of \vater, and about one hundred and fifty yards distant. We 
had a protected position, as the railroad not then finished was im- 
mediately in our front. I took a position about thirty or forty yards 
to the right oblique, and in advance of our command, and behind 
a large tree. The captain, in his broken English, said : " Youse there 
had petter vatch out a lettle or yous'll get yer head off shot." The 
Confederates soon gave way, leaving their dead and wounded upon 
the field, as well as some horses tied to trees, most of whom were 
wounded. I then made a bee-line for the center of the camp and 



300 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

waded the creek, which was thigh deep. I know that I was the- 
first man to reach Colonel Mollis, who was dead, lying on his back. 
His coat was thrown open exposing his pistols, one an ivory-handled, 
silver-mounted, twenty-two caliber, the other a forty-two Colt. I 
relieved him of both of them and thrust them into my pockets. He 
was dressed in full Confederate uniform, which was new, and a 
pair of long-legged cavalry boots. Noticing a beautiful horse tied to 
a tree, rearing and charging to get loose, I left the dead colonel, 
and ran to the horse before any of our men reached camp, they 
having gone round by the large bridge, some two hundred yards 
out of the way. 1 understood that there was a detail of men to 
carry Colonel Hollis to William Stidman's blacksmith shop. I 
saw the dead officer later in the day lying in the shop without coat, 
hat or boots. 1 know that all his clothes were on him when I first 
saw him in the field. I saw a Confederate lying full length on the 
ground and leaning on his arm. I went to him and asked him what 
was the matter. He told me that he had been wounded just before 
the fight by a brother otticer because he wanted to pull loose from 
Hollis's command and go South instantly. 1 think he said that his 
name was Captain Moore. Later on I saw Payne's son, Charlie, 
wearing the dead Confederate's hat which had a large, drooping 
ostrich plume on it." 

Colonel Hollis was a gallant soldier and an elegant gentleman, 
and his untimely death was greatly lamented by all who knew him.. 

AL FOWLER. 

BY POLK LAFFOON. 

Captain Al Fowler, the subject of this sketch, was bom in 
Hopkins county, Kentucky, on the 17th of July, 1835. He enlisted 
in the Confederate army in the fall of 1861, but had done valuable 
scouting service before the date of his enlistment. 

He commanded the Confederate embryo soldiers in the assault in 
the battle of the Burnt Mill in Webster county on September l5, 
1861, the first battle of the Civil War fought in Kentucky. This 
battle fully illustrates the character of the man for courage, indom- 
itable energy and unyielding determination. In this battle he cap- 
tured twenty-five well-equipped and organized soldiers who were 
fleeing from Hopkinsville, Kentucky-, where General S. B. Buckner 
invaded the State. Colonel Jas. F. Buckner and Captain Wm. 




CAPTAIN AL. FOWLER, 
1st Capt. Co. I, 10th Ky., P. R. Killed at Summer's Store, 1862. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 301 

Buckner were in command of the retreating forces and were made 
prisoners. Colonel J. F. Buckner's command was making its escape 
through Captain Fowler's neighborhood and he determined on its 
capture. 

He had not a soldier nor a military equipment at his command, 
but from the surrounding towns and country he hastily summoned 
his friends by night from their quiet homes and pursued the fleeing 
foe and overtook them fourteen miles from Madisonville, where 
they were encamped in a frame church. When morning dawned 
the retreating forces found themselves entirely surrounded and every 
avenue of escape closed up. After a sharp skirmish, which lasted 
an hour, Captain Fowler's men sheltering themselves behind trees, 
the crest of the hill and the bed of the creek, the enemy surrendered 
with all their guns and ammunition. Buck Madison was the only 
wounded on Fowler's side. 

From this time until his death, he, by his vigilance, bravery and 
activity, was a terror to the Federal forces in southwestern Ken- 
tucky. He enlisted and armed a battalion of fearless men imbued 
with the spirit and ready at all times to follow their leader in any 
deeds of daring. To his enemies he appeared never to sleep, and 
night and day he might be expected to assail them at any moment. 
Every scheme thiat the ingenuity of the Federal officers could devise 
to capture him and his command proved ineffectual. At one time 
the " Dutch Cavalry " left Madisonville, where they were stationed 
and gave it out that they were going to Henderson, but suddenly 
and rapidly returned, hoping to surprise him. He was in town and 
they knew it, but after a diligent search they failed to find him, he 
having sought and found safety under the floor of Lem Simon's 
woodshop, where he remained until darkness enabled him to escape. 
The most amusing circumstance connected with this incident was 
the fact that Captain A. Fowler, unknown personally to the Dutch 
Cavalry and wearing no uniform, helped the officers to place their 
pickets before he sought his place of hiding, and when he made his 
exit from the town he knew the exact route to take to evade the 
enemy. 

Chagrined and mad at their failure to capture him and his com- 
mand, his enemies were unchivalrous enough to bum down his 
home, appropriate and destroy his crops, devastate his farm and turn 
his wife and little children out of home and sustenance. How dif- 
ferently did Captain Fowler act toward his Union neighbors. He 



302 THE PARTISAN RANGERS 

was importuned to retaliate on them, but with firmness he declined 
and threatened to punish any of his command who interfered with 
private property in any way unless the necessity of his soldiers 
demanded it and such necessity was first to be submitted to him. 

He was impetuous and under excitement was sometimes impulsive, 
hi the heat of battle he often emphasized his exhortation to his sol- 
diers by a little profanity. On one occasion in the midst of the con- 
flict when the battle was raging hottest, he exclaimed : " D ^n 

them, boys, give them h — 1." At that instant he observed Major 
Scobee, who was then and is now an eminent divine in the Methodist 
church, standing near him. Captain Fowler turned to him and 
apologized for swearing in his presence. Major Scobee replied: 
" Colonel, if it does you any good let them have it.'* 

Captain Fowler was with General Forrest at the battles of Sacra- 
mento and Fort Donelson as a private soldier, at which places he 
endeared himself to General Forrest by his indomitable courage. 
After he received his commission as captain and while he was 
recruiting his command he was one of General Adam Johnson's 
chief friends and advisers and was present with him in many of his 
desperate enterprises. 

It is not within the scope of this brief notice of his life and career 
to enter into the details of the many battles and skirmishes in which 
he was engaged. He took a brave part under General Johnson in 
the battles of Clarksville and Hopkinsville, where the Confederates 
were so eminently successful and where he distinguished himself by 
gallantry. 

It is sad to note the untimely close of a life like that of Colonel 
Fowler's, but that career which had been so brilliant, so dazzling 
and so grand was fated to come to a sudden end. On the 23d of 
November, 1862, near Summer's Store, in Muhlenberg county, 
Kentucky, in the night, he attacked with his command a superior 
force of the enemy and in this engagement lost his life. When 
the battle wias raging furiously he ordered his men to lie down, 
and when day dawned he was found dead from a buckshot wound 
in the head. From the location and the character of the injury it 
is generally believed that he was killed accidentally at the hands of 
one of his own men. 

Charles Ashby, a truthful Union soldier of Hopkins county, Ken- 
tucky, says he was in this fight, and with a comrade or two found 
Captain Al Fowler the next mornng and there was a pistol ball 




CAPT. W. B. ALBRIGHT. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 303 

through his head cutting the band of his hat in two on both sides 
of his head; in addition to this there had passed through his chest 
two carbine balls, and it's a mistake about his own men having 
killed him accidentally. 

From whatever view point history may record Captain Fowler, it 
must set the seal of its approval upon his life and career, whether 
as farmer, citizen, soldier, husband or father. In that life he rep- 
resented the highest type of civilization and manhood, and when his 
body was covered in the ground there was only buried all of the 
heroism that could die, 

VV. B. ALBRIGHT. 
(From the Confederate Veteran.) 

W. B. Albright was born near Clarksville, Tennessee, February 
28, 1841. In the summer of 1861 he joined Company A, First 
Tennessee Heavy Artillery, stationed at Fort Henry, was soon ap- 
pointed first sergeant in charge of gun No. 1, thirty-two pounder. 
He was in the bombardment from start to finish. He fired the last 
shot. It was after the fort surrendered and unawares. Before 
the gunboat landed he escaped. A few days later he went to Fort 
Donelson, and was in the water batteries there during the battle. 
He escaped by the river road. He afterwards joined Colonel Adam 
Johnson's Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, and was put in charge of a 
piece of artillery, secured in the recapture of Clarksville. 

The most noted shot perhaps, of that great war was in August, 
1862, when Captain Albright hid a cannon by a straight stretch 
of road near the Cumberland Iron Works, sent all of his men away, 
waited by the gun until the head of the Federals, the Fifth Iowa 
Cavalry, was near, then he fired directly down the line. The chaos 
following that shot can hardly be conceived. 

Of this shot Captain Albright has written : 

"As they approached, going north before crossing the bridge, the 
scene was magnificent. It is vivid with me still. When they cross- 
ed the bridge, entering the fine stretch of road looking directly into 
the mouth of my gun, they did not falter, but spurred their horses 
to greater speed. They came as an avalanche to sweep everything 
before it. The few hundred feet were soon covered. At a glance 
I saw that I would get but one shot, and ordered my squad to flee 
for safety. Having no friction matches, I had to use the torch 
from a small fire near by kindled for that purpose. There I stood 



304 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

waving my firebrand to keep it alive, and at the same time keep- 
ing an eye on my gun and the enemy. It seemed an age for them 
to cover that short distance leading up from the bridge. 1 was 
eager to have it over. 1 confess that 1 felt something more than 
eagerness when they came abreast in columns of eights, their sabers 
flashing in the light of the sun, which was then just rising. I could 
not but feel a hesitancy in firing on such men. In these few seconds 
the head of the column had almost reached me. I gave my fire- 
brand a whirl in the air to make sure of its being a 'go,' and lowered 
it to the powder. They were so close that the smoke and dust en- 
veloped the entire front of their column; in fact, the whole moving 
mass was enveloped in a heavy charcoal dust that filled the air until 
it became as 'dark as Egypt.' I had no time for anything. A jam 
and crash of men and horses were all around me; the road seemed 
to be piled full of them. Kind providence and a big beech-tree were 
my salvation this time sure. Men and horses were all about me, 
so close I could feel them move about. The charging column was 
only checked, and imagine my surprise, when the smoke cleared 
away, not to find the road filled with the dead. Upon looking about 
for my cannon it was many feet away, having been thrown from 
its trunnions. The carriage was lying upside down. All this was 
done by the momentum of their heavy horses and their speed when 
the gun was fired. At the close of the fight Colonel Martin con- 
gratulated me on the part I had so well executed. It was all done 
with a little Tourth-of-July' gun, but promoted me to the rank of 
captain." 

He was in many successful engagements in Northern Kentucky. 
In November, 1862, he went South and joined Morgan's command; 
was with him on his famous Christmas raid into Northern Ken- 
tucky and was captured. He escaped from his guard, but was soon 
recaptured by Woolford's Cavalry. He was marched to Lebanon 
Junction and from there sent to Louisville on an engine. After 
a few days in prison changed his name, his uniform, and succeeded 
in being taken as a private for exchange at Vicksburg. Near Cairo 
the boat was headed for St. Louis, where it ran into .a dense fog and" 
was forced to land when he and James Christian escaped and took 
up the tramp for Dixie, one of great fatigue and hardships. He 
rejoined his command in time to go with General Morgan 
on his Ohio campaign, and was captured at Adams' Mills, 
July I9th. He was imprisoned at Cincinnati, on Johnson's Island^ 




DR. BENJAMIN REDFORD, 
Surgeon 10th Ky. Partisan Rangers. 



COMPANY OFFICERS' 305 

Allegheny City, Point Lookout, and Fort Delaware. In March, 
1865, he was sent South on a special exchange, and at Greensboro 
surrendered with Joseph E. Johnston's army. He was twelve times 
a prisoner of war and got his freedom only once by consent of 
his captors or custodians. 

Captain Albright settled after the war at Columbus, Ohio, and was 
instrumental in organizing the Confederate Camp in that city. He 
was traveling when, falling sick at Gallatin, Tennessee, he died, and 
was buried in the Confederate lot in the cemetery there. He left 
a wife to mourn his loss. 

JOHN B. DORTCH. 

Captain John B. Dortch was bom May 11, 1830. He was a 
successful farmer at the beginning of the war, when he enlisted as 
a private in Cyrus Sugg's company which was raised in the vicinity 
of Guthrie, Kentucky, and was soon after elected lieutenant of the 
company which was placed in the Fiftieth regiment, of which Sugg 
was elected lieutenant colonel and Dortch was elected captain. 

He escaped with a part of his company from Fort Donelson, 
and reported to General Albert Sidney Johnston at Murfreesboro. 
Afterwards he raised two companies of cavalry and reported to 
me at Camp Coleman, Todd county, Kentucky. Under my orders 
he burned the railroad bridge between Russellville and Bowling 
Green, and had a sharp skirmish with General Harrison at Rus- 
sellville. He commanded one of the battalions of Morgan's men 
at the battle of Chickamauga, and afterwards, under Bragg's 
order, reported to General Wheeler, and was never connected with 
my command any more. 

PHILIP JONES. 

Philip Jones w)as bom in Henderson county, 1837; enlisted in the 
Tenth Kentucky Partisan Rangers in August, 1862; was commis- 
sioned adjutant and served in that capacity until his resignation. 

OSCAR L. BARBOUR. 

Oscar L. Barbour was born at Princeton, Kentucky, 
in 1846. Enlisted in Tenth Kentucky Partisan Rangers in 1862. 
In February, 1863 he was appointed adjutant of the regiment; 
although but seventeen years old he was a very brave, active and 



306 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

^eificient officer and was always known as Adjutant Barbour. He 
died at the home of General A. R. Johnson in Texas, in 1882. 

JAMES M'CLAIN. 

Captain James McClain was bom in Henderson county in 1837; 
moved to Memphis in 1855 and was among the first to enlist in 
the Confederate army, and served with Forrest's old regiment 
until 1862, when he was promoted and transferred to the Tenth 
Kentucky Partisan Rangers, and was appointed com.missary in place 
of Horace Garth^ resigned. He was one of the most efficient 
officers in that line in the service; was promoted to brigade com- 
missary in February, 1863, and held that office until his death, 
which occurred during the Ohio raid at Buffington Island, where 
he was drowned. 

NEIL HELM. 

Captain Neil Helm was born in Missouri, 1836, moved to Texas 
in 1857 and was employed in surveying with me, and proved to 
be one of the most faithful and fearless men that were in my 
employ. At the beginning of the war he returned to Missouri, joined 
General Sterling Price and remained with him until General Bragg's 
expedition into Kentucky, when he was captured and was sent ta 
prison at Louisville; escaping he joined me at Walnut Hill in Web- 
ster county, remained with me until we joined Morgan, when he 
got an appointment as captain with permission to raise a company 
of scouts, and was sent to Texas on recruiting service. Among, 
his recruits was William Hamby, afterwards adjutant general of 
Tennessee, Thomas Bryson, Charies Taylor, Fletcher Stephens, 
and a number of others. This company of scouts was my advance 
guard on the Indiana and Ohio raid, and Captain Helm's skill and 
care saved us from a number of ambuscades on that eventful ex- 
pedition. He escaped with me at Buffington Island, and was of 
material assistance in reorganizing Morgan's com.mand at Morris- 
town, Tennessee, and at the second reorganization at Decatur^ 
Georgia. He was in the fight with Martin at Dublin depot and 
was with me on my last expedition in Kentucky and commanded 
company A in the regiment organized by Colonel Napier. After 
I was wounded he lost all interest in the Confederate army and 
refused to do any more service, and remained in the vicinity of 




CAPTAIN ANDREW RAY, 

St Capt. Co. A, IGth Ky., P. R. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 307 

y/hevd I was confined from the wound I had received in the fight 
at Grubbs Crossroads and came with Major Walker Taylor 
several times to take me South. But being unable to be moved 
5.nd also being under parole, I declined to go with them, and when 
I was sent to prison he went to Virginia where my wife was 
boarding. When I came from prison in February, 1865, he took 
immediate and special care of me and as we were traveling South 
he was killed at Chester, South Carolina, as before described. 

BRIGADE STAFF. 

My brigade staiT was, Walter Overton, adjutant; Paul J. Marts, 

quartermaster; Thomas J. Johnson, commissary; Long, 

aid; George Hunt, ordnance officer; Meade Woodson, aid-de-camp. 

The brigade organization was to have been the Tenth Kentucky: 
Colonel R. M. Martin, commissioned June I, 1864; Lieutenant 
Colonel G. Wash Owen; Major, Jacob Bennett; Adjutant, Frank 
A. Owen; Surgeon, Dr. Ben. Redford; Quartermaster, R. R. 
Kelley; Commissary, Sherv/ood Hicks. 

Second Regiment: Colonel, J. Q. Chenoweth, Commissioned 
August, 1864; Lieutenant Colonel, S. P. Cunningham, August, 
1864; Major, Jones; Adjutant, Waller Bullock; Surgeon, Netherton. 

Third Regiment: Colonel, Lee Sypert, commissioned 1864; 
Robert Soery, lieutenant colonel; J. Walker Taylor, major. 

Fourth Regiment: Charles Napier, colonel, commissioned 
August, 1864; Lieutenant Colonel, Shanks; Mark Coleman, major. 

Fifth Regiment ; Colonel, William Hollis. 



Roster of the Rangers. 

COMPANY A, TENTH KENTUCKY CAVALRY. 

The following is the incomplete organization; in less than one 
month it was made; the recruiting was scattered over the entire 
State. All this work was done within the enemy's lines, sur- 
rounded on every side by superior numbers. This will be suftl- 
cient excuse for the incomplete roster of the several commands. 
Before the muster rolls were completed they were forced inta 
consolidation. 

First Captain, A. W. Ray. 

Second Captain, J. C. Bennett. 

First Lieutenants, Thomas Carlisle, Montgomery Swope. 

Second Lieutenants, Cyrus Carlisle, David H. Browder, Robert 
A. Lockett. 

Third Lieutenants, Robert A. Sugg, W. Young Watson. 

First Orderly Sergeant, Richard W. Dunville. 

Second Orderly Sergeants, Andrew J. Reynolds, Stephen A. 
Prather, J. Wesley Roby. 

Third Orderly Sergeants, Charles Brown, J. M. Dodd, Thomas 
Henry. 

First Corporals, A. S. Crafton, Thomas J. Gooch. 

Second Corporal, John Ray. 

Third Corporal, R. E. Humphrey. 

Fourth Corporals, Charles Bland, John Beckham, Pascal 
Thomason. 

PRIVATES. 
Adams, Ed. Anderson, William. Amett, Virginius. 

Ashby, David. Ashly, Dave. Ashly, Wm. 




MISS LIDE CARICO, Daviess County, Ky. 
"The Daughter" of the 10th Ky., P. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



309 



Ashly, Walter. 
Bacon, Gillie. 
Brown, Theodore. 
Brown, Lee. 

Barr, . 

Barnard, Pink H. 
Beal, Andrew. 
Beel, John. 
Barber, Oscar L. 
Bowers, Samuel. 
Burnett, James. 
Burnett, Pious. 
Brooks, Robert 
Browder, Josiah. 
Buchanan, R. H. 
Bryant, Simeon. 
Bradon, John. 
Burwell, James. 
Burnett, Elijah. 
Burress, Murry. 
Burress, John. 
Bryant, Jas. H. 
Burras, Dan. 
Brown, Henry C. 
Carlisle, R. R. 
Carlisle, R. W. 
Cobb, Wm. 
Chappell, Thomas. 
Chandler, James W. 
Coleman, Wm. 
Corbett, James. 
Corbett, John. 
Coffman, Theodore. 
Crockett, John W. 
Clure, Lafayette. 
Clove, F. L. 
Carico, Miss Eliza, 
"Daughter of the Regi 
ment." 



Coflfman, Jas. R. 
Culver, Thomas. 
Donley, John. 
Dothett, J. G. 
Dixon, George. 
Darnell, B. W. 
Darnell, R. W. 
Duvall, Archibald D. 

Dwyer, . 

Edwards, P. 
Eubanks, S. J. 
Eubanks, A. S. 
Pavers, Travis. 
Fraser, Wm. 
Friend, Jacob. 
Fenwick, Wm. 
Fenrich, Wm. H. 
Farley, John. 
Farley, Henderson. 
Farley, Joseph. 
Floyd, Robert. 
Gooch, Bartlet L. 
Glover, Joseph. 
Glove, Wm. 
Glover, Thomas J. 
GoDch, Thomas 
Gudgil, Dan. 

Gates, . 

Harte, Ben E. 
Hicks, B. 
Hawkins, R. 
Humphrey, Gaorge. 
Humphrey, Thomas. 
Humphrey, Isaac. 
Hicklin, Thomas. 
Hicklin, Lem. 
Humphrey, R. H. 
•Hicklin, John L. 
Hollis, Wm. 



Huffman, . 

Harden, James. 
Humphrey, Sam. C. 
Hussey, Chas. 
Hobgood, Simeon. 
Jones, Willis H. 
Jackson, Thomas. 
Johnson, B. 
Johns, Bud. 
Jenkins, Wm. 
Jones, Thomas. 
Jones, Robert. 
Jenkins, Dr. Warren L 
Lockett, Wm. 
Marion, John. 
Mulligan, John. 
Mullins, John W. 
Mason, Wm. 
Moore, Wm. P., 

"Judge." 
Moore, Wm. 
Morehead, Enoch. 
Madison, Wm. 
Myers, Marion.^ 
McCowan, C. L. 
McGowan, Chas. W. 
Meffiord, Andrew J. 
Myers, James. 
Nance, J. H. 

Owen, , 

Owen, B. 
Ogden, Wm. 
Osburn, J. D. 
Osburn, Harden, 
Prather, H. C. 
Priest, E. Pam. 
Pennington, M. J. 
Pritchett, G. W. 
Pruitt, James Robert. 



310 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



Priest, E. R. 
Purdue, Chin. 
Pendrus, Wm. 
Paterson, John. 
Porter, Dr. George W. 
Quin, Ben F. 
Ray, John Wes. 
Rheam, P. R. 
Rust, Lemuel T. 
Robinson, Ben. 
Robinson, George. 
Robertson, Burtram B. 
Ramsey, Andrew P. 
Riley, John. 
Sayres, Louis. 
Sayres, J. 
Stodghill, Dan. 
Stodghill, J. Harry. 
Sizemore, James. 
Stubblefield, D. 
Thomas, J. W. 
Slayton, Vm. 
Slayton, A. J. 
Son, C. J. 



Son, Samuel. 
Siers, Louis. 
Sellers, L. 
Smith, John. 
,Sigers, Wm. 
Spinny, George W. 
Sutton, L. B. 
Spencer, George. 
Scott, C. M. 
Sutton, W. M. 
Sursey, F. B. 
Sutton, Wm. H. H. 
Sayers, W. C. 
Straud, John. 
Tippett, C. C. 
Thomas, Pack Pascal. 
Smith, C. A. 
Triplett, J. H. 
Tippett, J. Hinton. 
Thomas, Wm. 
Tippett, Pres. 
Townsend, A. W. 
Timmons, Felix. 
Thomas, George. 



Thomas, James R. 
Thompson, P. 
Thompson, James. 
T.app, Jes Anderson. 
Townsend, James L. 
Tapp, James. 
Thomison, Zack. 
Utley, Zac. 
Veazey, N. 
Veazey, Edward. 
Wilkerson, John. 
Ward, John J. 
Weldon, T. 
Wilson, E. 
Wilson, A. 
Woodward, J. M. 
Warren, J. A. 
Woodward, F. H. 
Wood, Frank. 
Yarbrough, Ingraham. 
Yarbrough, John. 
Yarbrough, C. 



Lieutenant Robert Sugg, of Henderson county, Kentucky, says: 
" Captain Ed. Hall's company was comimanded by Captain Mont- 
gomery Swope, after Captain Hall resigned; First Lieutenant, Robert 
A. Sugg; Second Lieutenant, Frank DeSchamp; Third Lieutenant, 
John W. Lockett. This was after Captain Hall resigned." 

The company was consolidated with Company A, " Mont " 
Swope becoming first lieutenant and Robert A. Sugg, third lieuten- 
ant, both of whom resigned soon after the fall of Clarksville, Tenn. 



COMPANY B. REORGANIZATION. 

In the reorganization Company G was consolidated with Com- 
pany B. Company G was Captain L. D. Fisher's company, and he 
was killed in 1862; hence, the consolidation of the companies. 




THOMAS GOOCH, 
One of the first eight enhsted, Co. A, 1 0th Ky., P. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS' 



311 



First Captain, L. D. Fisher. 
Captain, Wm. M. Marr. 
First Lieutenant, Hugh Dunlap. 
Second Lieutenant, B. B. Kirby. 
Third Lieutenant, S. S. Hicks. 
First Sergeant, S. Wilkins. 
Second Sergeant, S. Burns. 
Third Sergeant, G. Allen. 
Fourth Sergeant, Henry Perdue. 
First Corporal, Joseph Stalls. 
Second Corporal, John Turpin. 
Third Corporal, G. W. Smith. 
Fourth Corporal, Thos. Knight. 



Allen, J. H. 
Allen, E. 
Anderson, G. W. 
Applegate, F. 
Armstrong, W. 1 
Burnett, J. H. 
Bethel, C. W. 
Biggs, W. T. 
Biggs, A. T. 
Biggs, P. B. 
Brasher, L. 
Bard, J. S. 
Brandon, G. 
Buchanan, Wm. 
Beck, Wm. 
Covington, Geo. 
Crews, Rufus. 
Copeley, James. 
Chicon, Chas. 
Cherry, Geo. 
Cox, W. 
Cobb, T. J. 
Clarke, W. 



PRIVATES. 

Clarke, W. E. 
Cheaney, W. 
Denton, S. P. 
Davis, J. H. 
Dunbar, W. 
Elder, Chas. 
Ezell, A. D. 
Edwards, H. 
Emerson, John. 
Freele, J. 
Fields, Willis. 
Frazer, W. H. 
George, J. M. A. 
Griffin, D. A. 
Giles, R. 
Griffin, J. C. 
Gudgell, D. E. 
Griffin, J. A. 
Gallagher, P. 
Green, Wm. 
Hargis, L. D. 
Hargis, H. L. 
Howell, J. 



Hughes, A. 
Hpwell, T. 
Hargin, R. A. 
Higginson, E. R. 
Johnson, F. B. 
Jones, P. 
Jones, W. T. 
Jennings, R. B. 
Jennings, O. T. 
Justice, N. J. 
Linthicum, E. 
Long, W. B. 
Lester, J. 
Luckett, J. H. 
Lancaster, N. N. 
Lewis, J. 
Martin, J. D. 
Mattingly, M. 
Morton, T. 
Mitford, C. F. 
Masterson, T. 
Masterson, G. W. 
Malloy, G. 



312 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 



Morris, M. L. 
Madden, W. 
Nichols, D. 
Osburn, V. 
Orange, T. 
Parker, T. H. 
Parker, T. 
Parks, F. M. 
Parks, N. J. 
Pirtle, E. S. 
Pirtle, J. C. 
Pirtle, J. 
Pugh, W. 
Pemberry, R. 



Pirtle, J. B. 
Reed, J. 
Reed, H. D. 
Roberts, G. F. 
Rhodes, Wiley. 
Rose, John. 
Smithson, John. 
Spatchel, John. 
Ambrose, B, 
Shirley, John. 
Sandefur, T. H. 
Sheets, J. D. 
Sheets, O. 
Sandefur, T. 



Sandefur, A. H. 
Taylor, D. H. 
Taylor, L. D. 
.Vititoe, G. T. 
Willingham, A. J. 
Willingham, Jackson. 
Willingham, H. D. 
Woodburn, W. W. 
Wilson, S. L. 
Williams, Wm. 
Williams, H. 
White, Brantley. 



REORGANIZATION. 

Company B, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 
Captain, Wm. M. Marr. 
First Lieutenant, Hugh Dunlap. 
Second Lieutenant, B. B. Kirby. 
Third Lieutenant, S. S. Hicks. 
First Sergeant, S. Wilkins. 
Second Sergeant, S. Burns. 
Third Sergeant, G. Allen. 
Fourth Sergeant, Henry Perdue. 
First Corporal, Joseph Stalls. 
Second Corporal, John Turpin. 
Third Corporal, G. W. Smith. 
Fourth Corporal, Thos. Knight. 



Allen, J. H. 
Allen, E. 

Anderson, G. W. 
Applegate, F. 
Armstrong, W. T. 
Burnett, J. H. 
Bethel, C. W. 
Biggs, W. T. - 



PRIVATES. 

Biggs, A. T. 
Biggs, P. B. 
Brashear, L. 
Bard, J. S. 
Brandon, G. 
Buchanan, Wm. 
Beck, Wm. 
Covington, Geo. 



Crews, Rufus. 
Copeley, James. 
Chicon, Chas. 
Cherry, Geo. 
Cox, W. 
Cobb, T. J. 
Clarke, W. 
Clark, W. E. 




CAPTAIN L. D. FISHER, 
1st Capt. Co. B. 10th Ky., p. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS- 



313 



Cheaney, W. 
Denton, B. P. 
Davis, J. H. 
Dunbar, W. 
Elder, Chas. 
Ezelle, A. D. 
Edwards, H. 
Freale, J. 
Emmerson, John. 
George, J. M. A. 
Griffin, D. A. 
Giles, R. 
Griffin, J. C 
Gudgell, D. E. 
Griffin, J. A. 
Gallager, P. 
Green, Wm. 
Hargis, L. D. 
Hargis, H. L. 
Howell, J. 
Hughes, A. 
Howell, T. 
Hargin, R. A. 
Higgins'on, E. R. 
Uohnson, F. B. 
'Jones, P. 
Parks, N. J. 
Pirtle, E. S. 



Jennings, R. B. 
Jennings, O. T. 
Justice, N. J. 
Linthicum, E. 
Long, W. B. 
Lester, J. 
Luckett, J. H. 
Lancaster, N. N. 
Lewis, J. 
Martin, J. D. 
Mattingly, M. 
Morton, T. 
Mitford, C. F. 
Masterson, G. W. 
Masterson, T. 
Malloy, G. 
Morris, M. L. 
Madden, W. 
Nickols, D. 
Osburn, V. 
Orange, T 
Parker, T. H. 
Parker, T. 
Pirtle, J. C. 
Pirtle, J. 
Pemburry, R. 
Pirtle, J. B. 
Pugh, W. 



Reed, J. 
Reed, H. D. 
Roberts, G. F. 

Rhodes, Wyley. 
Rose, John. 
Spatchel, John. 
Shirley, John. 
Sandefur, T. H. 
Sheets, J. D. 
Sheets, O. 
Sandefur, T. 
Sandefur, A. H. 
Taylior, D. H. 
Taylor, L. D. 
Viditoe, G. T. 
Willingham, A. J. 
Willingham, Jackson. 
Willingham, H. D. 
Woodburn, W. W. 
Wilson, S. L. 
Williams, Wm. 
Williams, H. 
White, Brantley. 
Jones, W. T. 
Frasier, W. H. 
Fields, Willis. 
Smithson, John. 
Parks, F. M. . 



Company B, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, L. D. Fisher. 
First Lieutenant, J. M. A. George. 
Second Lieutenant, D. A. Griffin. 
Third Lieutenant, S. S. Hicks. 
Orderly Sergeant, Jas. O. Keach. 



Armstrong, W. T. 
Allen, J. 



PRIVATES. 

Applegate, F. 
Anderson, G. W. 



Allen, E. 
Bethel, C. W. 



314 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS* 



Beck, Wm. 
Biggs, W. T. 
Brashear, L. 
Baird, J. S. 
Biggs, A. T. 
Cobb, T. J. 
Clark, Jerome. 
Clark, William. 
Curry, Ed. 
Clarke, W. E. 
Cheaney, W. 
Davis, J. H. 
Duvall, A. D. 
Elder, Chas. 
Freels, J. 
Freney, John. 
Farley, H. 
Farley, Jno. 
Farley, Jo. 
Giles, R. 
Griffin, J. G. 
Gudgell, D. E. 
Griffin, J. A. 
Griffin, Dan. 
Griffin, Dave. 
Hagan, R. A. 
Mollis, Wm. 
Higginson, E. R. 
Hix, Sherwood. 
Jennings, R. B. 



Jennings, O. T. 
Justice, Jas. 
Justin, N. J. 
Keach, O. J. 
Keach, Jas., Orderly S. 
Long, W. B. 
Linthicum, E. 
Lester, J. 
Luckett, J. H. 
Lancaster, N. 
Logan, Wm. 
Mefford, Andy. 
Mattingly, M. 
Morton, T. 
Mitford, C. F. 
Masterson, G. W. 
Masterson, T. 
Osburn, V. 
Orang T. 
Pickett, J. 
Parker, N. S. 
Pirtle, E. S. 
Pirtle, J. C. 
Pirtle, J. B. 
Pemburry, R. 
Pirtle, J. 
Pew, W. 
Reed, J. A. 
Reed, H. D. 
Roberts, G. F. (K.). 



Stoll, Jio. 
Stoll, Jno. 
Sherley, Jno. 
Smith, Jno. 
Stewart, Jo. 
Sparks, Frank. 
Sparks, Nick. 
Spatchel, J. 
Sandefur, T. H. 
Sheets, J. D. 
Sheets, O. 
Sandefur, T. 
Sandefur, A. H. 
Turpin, Dick. 
Taylor, D. H. 
Taylor, L. G. 
Vittitoe, J. H. 
Willingham, A. J. 
Willingham, H. D. 
Willingham, R. C. 
Woodburn, W. W. 
Wilson, S. L. 
Watkins, J. W. 
Willingham, Jackson. 
Williams, Wm. Dr. 
Williams, Parson Bill. 
Williams, Alvis. 
Scoffield, Green. 



Company G, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, Wm. Marr. 

First Lieutenant, Wm. Kirby. 



Cherry, G. 
Chicon, C. 
Cokely, J. 



PRIVATES. 

Cruse, R. 
Dunbar, W. 
Eathery, Wm. 



Edwards, N. 
Greer, W. 
Gentry, G. W. 




WM. H. MOORE, 
Co. A, 10th Ky., p. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



315 



Howell, J. E. 

Hughes, Alex. 
Johnson, F. B. 
Jones, Finis. 
Hargus, D. 
Kennedy, Mat. 
Jones, Bill, 
Morris, L. 
Moore, Jas. 



Miloy, Geo. 
Night, T. 
Parker, J. H. 
Parker, T. 
Rhodes, W. 
Rollins, Ed. 
Smithy Ben., 
Sherry, J. 
Smith, Doc. 



In reorganization was consolidated 
which was L. D. Fisher's company, 
1862. 



Stubbs, Joe. 
Underwood, H. 
Williams, W. S. 
Williams, Rich. 
Williams, Will. 
Williams, Henezy. 
Wilkins, C. 
Welch, D. C. 

with and made Company B, 
Fisher having been killed in 



COMPANY C, TENTH KENTUCKY. 

First Captain, John E. Prow. 

Second Captain, Sam Wall. 

Third Captain, L. Dow Hockersmith. 

First Lieutenants: John W. Head, John Brooks, Dr. B. M. 
Long, L. Dow Hockersmith. 

Second Lieutenants: Van B. Prow, Thomas J. McGraw. 

Third Lieutenants: W. A. Kuykendall, T. B. Pearson, Thomas 
Guthrie, Henry S. Jones. 

First Orderly Sergeant, J. H. Jones. 

Second Orderly Sergeant, B. R. Wear. 

Third Orderly Sergeant, Thomas Guthrie. 

Second Sergeants: A. Gibson, J. B. Head, E. Wallace, R. Young. 

Third Sergeants: Cave Johnston, J. E. Hunter. 

Fourth Sergeants: Samuel Withers, Calvin J. Tapp. 

First Corporals: J. McKinley, E. Wallace. 

Second Corporal, W. A. Bird. 

Third Corporal, Theo. B. Clare. 

Fourth Corporal, W. Truder. 



Agnew, R. T. 
Agnew, J. M. 
Arnold, Sam W. 
Anderson, J. N. 



PRIVATES. 

Azel, C. F. 
Aud, Henry C. 
Agnue, Abner. 
Agnew, P. M. 



Agnew, R. F. 
Aldridge, John. 
Beacon, Chas. A. 
Bird, W. T. 



316 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 



Bird, J. 

Brantley, Bluford. 
Burton, J. 
Bell, James. 
Bishop, Geo. 
Burton, J. Henry. 
Brantley, David B. 
Birchfield, U. G. 
Bean, J. F. 
Bean, C. A. 
Brantley, John. 
Broadfoot, Ben. C. 
Bentley, John. 
Cannon, W. 
Cannon, E. S. 
Clayton, L. W. 
Clayton, G. VV. 
Click, P. M. 
Conroy, John. 
Conway, J. W. 
Cole, W. C. 
Clark, J. H. 
Clark, B. H. 
Caspar, J. C. 
Conger, Thomas. 
Cromwell, Nathan. 
Cook, James . 
Cook, John. 
Cook, Joe. 
Goon, Joe. 
Chandler, D. 
Conn, David. 
Con, C. F. 
Con, H. C. 
Chandler, Thomas 
Clark, J. M. 
Conger, J. N. 
Creder, D. V. 
Cain, David. 
Chandler, Tom. 



Con, I. 

Clavis, Robert. 
Caspar, T. C. 
Covey, T. H. B. 
Cromwell, Nace. 
Cook, James Y. 
Cannon, G. W. 
Clore, Theodore, B. 
Dillbeck, W. W. 
Dye, J. W. 
Dilleck, Chas. 
Dills, Jiohn. 
Dills, Jesse. 
Dunn, D. M. 
. Dye, John R. 
Davis, Robert. 
Dillbeck, Wm. 
Dye, R. T. 
Dons, D. B. 
Dye, Wm. 
Dills, Phil. 
Eddings, R. E. 
Endsley, J. M. 
Evans, James. 
Edwards, George. 
Edmondson, H. R. 
Elliott, L. P. 
Eddings, B. r. 
Elliott, Lewis. 
Edmonds, H. C. 
Edmonds, H. A. 
Farmer, Ben C. 
Grayson, B. F. 
Grayson, S. W. 
^- Gains, Bernard. 
Guess, J. S. 
Grayson, J. J. 
Grayson, G. W. 
Gibson, Allen. 
Givens, James. 



Guess, D. F. 

Hartley, B. S. 

Holman, T. J. 

Haley, Ben. 

Head, James B. 

Holman, Sam. 

Hale, Thomas G. 

Hunter, Jasper. 

Howard, Chas. 

Harrell, C. F. 

Henry, Alec. 

Hughes, James. 

Harold, J .C. 

Henry, Thomas. 

Hillman, T. 

Hackley, J. 

Hackett, J. 

Head, Wm. 

Haley, B. S. 
Hunter, J. M. 

Huckleby^ Jim. 
Hunter, Pres. 
Hughes, Joseph. 
Henry, Joe D. 
Hutchinson, Henry. 
Hazel, C. F. 
Holliman, Dr. Danipl. 
Imboden, Geo. 
Jones, J. M. 
Johnston, J. R. 
Jones, M. 
James, W. B. 
Johnston, J. M. 
Kuykendall, Frank M. 
Kemp, J. L. 
King, Thomas. 
Lucas, Geo. 
Land, Thos. 
Lowry, S. H. B. 
Messick, Samuel 




CAPTAIN JOHN PROW, 

1st Capt. Co. C, ICth Ky., P. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS- 



317 



Mobley, J. M. 
Mobley, T. M. 
Milton, R. S. 
Mobley, D. R. 
McKinley, VV. H. 
McKinley, J. J. 
McKinley, A. R. 
McGraw, I. C. 
Miller, Wm. 
Madden, Patrick. 
Marshall, Wm. 
Moore, James. 
Metcalf, Coates F. 
Monan, Wm. 
Morse, Jas. 
Murphy, F. M. 
McGraw, John. 
Manly, John. 
Morse, Joe. 
Mabby, Bryan, 
^yrick, Samuel. 
.McKinley, Jonathan. 
Melton, Robt. S. 
Nelson, Wm. 
^^esbitt, A. G. 
Nichols, R. 
Neal, M. Dock. 
Nonticutt, W. W. 
Nelson, M. 
Osborn, H. N. 
Osborn, Randolph. 
Osbern, R. M. 
Osbern, J. H. 
O'Nan, Leo. 



Prow, John E., Jr. 
Phillipps, R. E. 
Prow, Wm. 
Pitts, T. L. 
Parish, Wm. 
Pearson, T. B. 
Potts, T. B. 
Query, Wm. 
Query, Morton. 
Query, Thos. 
Quarles, Thos. 
Rich, Obadiah. 
Robertson, Benoni. 
Rowe, David. 
Robertson, P. D. 
Ryan, John. 
Rice, N. N. 
Ritter, Obadiah. 
Rhyle, W. H. 
Smith, Polk. 
Smith, Holden. 
Stallians, Geo. 
Smith, J. Grit. 
Simpson, J'ohn. 
Smith, B. F. 
Snodgrass, Dave. 
Stephens, Michael. 
Snow, J. M. 

Smith, . 

Simpson, I. M. 
Smith, I. P. 
Smith, Nat. 
Stalions, John. 
Tapp, J. Calvin. 



Tetherington, R. M. 
Talley, A. W. 
Thurman, Q. S. 
Thurman, W. R. 
Thurman, J. S. 
Talbott, Geo. 
Trader, A .W. 
Utley, R. Y. 
Vaughn, B. N. 
Vaughn, J. W. 
Vaughn, B. F. 
Vaughn, J. D. 
Vaughn, Isaac W. 
Vaughn, Henry. 
Wallace, Jas. 
Waskum, Jas. 
Wise, C. C. 
Wells, W. E. 
Wheatcroft, Jas. 
Wheeler, Edward. 
Walker, Lewis. 
Walker, G. W. 
Walker, A. J. 
Wall, Lewis. 
Withers, H. 
Withers, S. W. 
Williams, Wm. 
Wallace, C. 
Weir, B. R. 
Withers, Wm. M. 
Warren, N. B. 
Yager, J. P. 
Young, R. 



COMPANY D. REORGANIZATION. 

Captain, T. M. Hammack. 
First Lieutenant, W. J. Alloway. 
Second Lieutenant, W. J. Gardiner. 
Third Lieutenant, Omer. 



318 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS' 



First Sergeant, Geo. H. Goodwin. 
Second Sergeant, Felix Jewell. 
Third Sergeant, J. P. Flannigan. 
Fourth Sergeant, J. D. Henry. 
First Corporal, Ben L. Moore. 
Second Corporal, Reuben Reason 
Third Sergeant, T. F. Hal. 
Fourth Sergeant, W. F. Christian. 



Anderson, James. 
Albutt, James. 
Bask, John. 
Collins, Jerry. 
Cannon, W. A. 
Cullen, Richard. 
Christian, Sam 
Dodge, J. R 
Day, O. B. 
Dyer, James. 
Francis, Henry. 
Fowler, P. L. 
Fitzhenry, M. 
Graves, W. P. 
Graves, G. M. 
Griffin, George. 
Hardy, John. 
Hampton, J. W. 
Hamilton, W. F. 
Hancock, D. C. 
Hager, W. 
Holt, C. G. 



PRIVATES. 

Hanner, C. H. 
Jeffries, Thomas. 
James, M. B. 
Lackland, Robt. 
Lackland, H. H. 
Mitchell, Silas. 
Montgomery, M. 
Mitchell, W. M. 
Mitchell, Geo. 
McClelland, James. 
McGill, J. C. 
McKinley, T. M. 
Neal, John. 
Omer, T. D., Jr. 
Perkins, J. W. 
Perkins, B. F. 
Peters, D. M. ' 
Peters, G. VV. 
Peters, J. H. 
Potts, C. 
Poe, John. 
Rudd, J. W. 



Rice, James. 
Robinson, W. S. 
Robinson, J. M. 
Reynolds, Levi. 
Sanders, L. J. 
Scarce, Daniel. 
Smith, Adam. 
Stone, W. J. 
Swingle, H. F. 
Slaton, Tom. 
Stone Jasper. 
Taylor, J. W. 
Taylor, Richard. 
Threlkeld, W. H. 
Thompson, W. P.. 
Thompson, John. 
Utley, M. 
Wade, Daniel. 
Walker, J. K. 
Whitecotton, G. H. 
Young, J. O. 



REORGANIZATION. 
Company D, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, T. M. Hammack. 

First Lieutenant, W. J. Alloway. 
Second Lieutenant, Wm. J. Gardiner. 
Third Lieutenant, Thos. Omer. 




CAPTAIN JOHN H. HAMBY AND WIFE, 
Co. H, 10th Ky„ P. R, 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



319 



First Sergeant, Geo. H. Goodwin. 
•Second Sergeant, Felix Jewell. 
Third Sergeant, J. P. Flannigan 
Fourth Sergeant, J. D. Henry. 
First Corporal, Ben L. Moore. 
Second Corporal, Reuben Reason 
Third Corporal, T. F. Hall. 
Fourth Corporal, W. F. Christian. 



Anderson, Jas. 
Albutt, J no. 
Bask, Jno. 
Collins, Jerry. 
Caninon, W. A. 
Cullen, Richard. 
Christian, Sam. 
Dodge, J. R. 
Day, O. B 
Dyer, Jas. 
Francis, Henry. 
Fowler, P. L. 
Fitzhenry, M. 
Graves, W. P. 
Graves, G. M. 
Griffin, Geo. 
Hardy, Jno. 
Hampton, J. W. 
Hamilton, W. F. 
Hancock, D. C. 
Hager, W. 
Holt, C. G. 



PRIVATES. 

Hamner, C. H. 
Jeftries, Thomas. 
James, M. B. 
Lackland, Robt. 
Lackland, H. H. 
Mitchell, Silas. 
Montgomery, M. 
Mitchell, W. M. 
Mitchell, Geo. 
McClelland, Jas. 
McGill, J. C. 
McKinley, T. M. 
Neal, Jno. 
Omer, T. D., Jr. 
Perkins, J. W. 
Perkins, B. F. 
Peters, D. M. 
Peters, G. W. 
Peters, J. H. 
Potts, C. 
Poe, Jno. 
Rudd, J. W. 



Rice, James. 
Robinspn, W. S. 
Robinson, J. M. 
Reynolds, Levi. 
Sanders, L. J. 
Scarce, Daniel. 
Smith, Adam. 
Stone, J. W. 
Swingle, H. F. 
Slaton, Tom. 
Smock, Jno. 
Stone, Jasper. 
Taylor, J. VV. 
Taylor, Richard. 
Tlirelkeld, U. H. 
Thompson, W. P. 
Thompson, Jno. 
Utley, M. 
Wade, Daniel. 
Walker, J. K. 
Whitecotton, Geo. H. 
Young, J. O. 



Company D, Tenth Kentucky,. Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, T. M. Hammack. 
First Lieutenant, Will J. Alloway 
Second Lieutenant, John Thompson. 
First Sergeant, Daniel Scarce. 



320 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 



Anderson, Jas. 
Albutt, Jno. 
Collins, Jerry 
Cannon, W. A. 
Cullen, Richard. 
Dodge, J. R. 
Day, O. B. 
Dyer, James. 
Fowler, P. L. 
Flannigan, J. P. 
Francis, Henry. 
Fitzhenry, M. 
Goodwin, Geo. H. 
Graves, W. P. 
Hampden, J. W. 
Graves, G. M. 
Hamilton, W. S. 
Henry, J. B. 
Hanciock, D. C. 
Hall, T. F. 
Hager, Wm. 
Hardy, Jno. 



i^RiVArns. 

Holt, C. G. 
Hamner, C. H. 
Jewell, Felix. 
Jeffries, Thos. 
Lackland, Robt. 
Lackland, H. H. 
Mitchell, Silas. 
Moore, L. B. 
Montgomery, W. M. 
Mitchell, Geo. 
Mitchell, Wm. M. 
McClelland, Jas. 
McGill, J. C. 
Neal, Jno. 
Omer, T. D., Sr. 
Omer, T. D., Jr. 
Perkins, J. W. 
Peters, D. M. 
Peters, I. H. 
Peters, L. U., Jr. 
Perkins, B. F. 
Peters, W. L. 



Potts, C. 
Rudd, Geo. W. 
Reasor, Reuben. 
Robertson, W. S. 
Robinson, J. M. 
Reynolds, Levi. 
Smith, Adam. 
i>tone, J. W. 
Swingle, H. F. 
Swingle, Jno. S. 
Slaton, Thos. 
Sanders, L. J. 
Taylor, J. W. 
Taylor, Richard. 
Threlkeld, U. H. 
Thompson, W. A, 
Walker, J. R. 
Whitecotton, Geo. 
Mitchell, Wm. 
Threlkeld, Henry. 
Threlkeld, Wm. 



COMPANY E. REORGANIZATION. 



Captain, Sam B. Taylor. 
First Lieutenant, T. S. White. 
Second Lieutenant, J. W. McLean. 
Third Lieutenant, H. S. Jones. 
First Sergeant, R. W. Taylor. 
Second Lieutenant, J. A. Jones. 
Third Sergeant, W. Fisher. 
Fourth Sergeant, B. F. Fields. 
First Corporal, W. M. Eaves. 
Second Corporal, T. M. Howard. 
Third Corporal, W. Hixton. 
Fourth Corporal, B. W. Taylor. 




BARTLETT GOOCH. 
Co. A, 10th Ky., p. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



321 



Ambrose, B. 
Ambrose, L. F. 
Ashby, J. A. 
Austin, W. 
Allgood, W. 
Arnold, W. H. 
Bell, G. 
Bradley, J. 
Boswell, W. 
Bradley, W. 
Butts, R. 
Blythe, W. H. 
Bell, C. F. 
Baker, G. C. P. 
Blanford, J. 
Carico, J. 
Cudney, H. H. 
Carlisle, Cyrus. 
Cox, VV. T. 
Carlisle, J. P. 
Qiandler, J. H. 
Camp, S. A. 
Dobyns, D. G. 
Ellis, L. 
Emerson, C. A. 
Freels, F. 



PRIVATES. 

Grady, W. 
Gough, J. S. 
Higgs, D. 
Hewitt, J. W. 
Head, R. 
Hobbs, J. 
Howard, H. 
Houston, B. 
Harrison, W. T. 
Hayden, M. S. 
Harrison, J. 
Head, H. R. 
Harrison, J. W. 
Johnson, M. A. 
Johnson, VV. A. 
Johnson, Frank. 
Jenkins, J. 
Kinneer, J. A, 
Kinneer, E. H. 
Kendall, T. 
Lancaster, B. F. 
Long, T. 
Millen, J. H. 
McClellan, A. 
Mitchell J. 
Mclntyre. Joe. 



Morris, J. C. 
Munford, John. 
Pritchett, J. 
Robinson, T. 
Rummage, J. B. 
Roberts, J. A. 
Riddle, T. 
Quigley, R. 
Richardson, A. 
Regan, C. 
Rhodes, J. L. 
Rhodes, Charles. 
Sutton, J. S. 
Stewart, G. 
Stewart, J. P. 
Smith, W. P. 
Sandefur, A. D. 
Sands, James. 
Stofield, Fred. 
Snider, G. G. 
Todd, T. J. 
Tierce, Wm. 
Vincent, J. H. 
Wright, F. M. 
Watson, J. H. 



REORGANIZATION. 

Company E, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, Sam. B. Taylor. 
First Lieutenant, T. S. White. 
Second Lieutenant, J. W. McLean. 
Third Lieutenant, H. S. Jones. 
First Sergeant, R. W. Taylor. 
Second Sergeant, J. A. Jones. 
Third Sergeant, W. Fisher. 
Fourth Sergeant, B.F. Fields. 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



First Corporal, W. M. Eaves. 
Second Corporal, T. M. Howard. 
Third Corporal, W. Hixton. 
Fourth Corporal, B. W. Taylor. 



Ambrose, B. 
Ambrose, L. P 
Ashby, J. A. 
Austin, W. 
Allgood, VV. 
Arnold, W. H. 
Bell, G. 
Bradley, J. 
Bell, J. 
Boswell, W. 
Bradley, W. 
Butts, R. 
Blythe, W. H. 
Bell, C. F. 
Baker, G. C. P. 
Blanford, J. 
Carico, J. 
Cudney, H. H. 
Carlisle, C. 
Cox, W. T. 
Carlisle, J. P. 
Chandler, J. H. 
Camp,, S. A. 
Dobbins, D. G. 
Ellis, L. . 
Emmerson, C. A. 



PRIVATES. 

Freels, F. 
Grady, W. 
Gough, J. S. 
Higgs, D. 
Hewitt, J. W. 
Hobbs, J. P. 
Head, R 
Howard, H. 
Huston, B. 
Harrison, W. T. 
Hayden, M. S. 
Harrison, J. 
Head, H. R. 
Harrison, J. W. 
Johnson, M. A. 
Johnson, W. A. 
Johnson, E. C. 
Johnson, Frank. 
Jenkins, J. 
■ unneer, J. A. 
Kinneer, E. H. 
Kendle, T. 
Lancaster, B. F. 
Long, T. 
Mullin, J. H. 
McClellen, A. 



Mitchell, J. 
Mclntyre, Jos. 
Morris, J. C. 
Munford, Jno. 
Pritchett, J. 
Robinson, T. 
Rummage, J. B. 
Roberts, J. A. 
Riddle, T. 
Regan, C. 
Rhodes, J. L. 
Rhodes, Chas. 
Sutton, J. S. 
Stewart, G. 
Stewart, J. P. 
Smith, W. P. 
Sandefur, A. D. 
Sands, J as. 
Stofield, Fred. 
Snider, G. G. 
Todd, T. J. 
Tearce, Wm. 
Vincell, J. H. 
Wright, F. M. 
Watson, J. H. 



Company E, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, S. B Taylor. 
First Lieutenant, T. S. White. 
Second Lieutenant, J. Handley. 
Third Lieutenant, J. W. McLean. 
First Sergeant, R. W. Taylor. 




CAPTAIN JOHN H. CHRISTY, 
2dCapt. Co. I, 10th Ky., P. R. 



ROSTER GF THE RANGERS. 



32a 



Second Sergeant, S. Jones. 
Third Sergeant, J. Hewitt. 
Fourth Sergeant, T. A. Jones. 
Fifth Sergeant, B. T. Field. 
First Corporal, W. Eaves. 
Second Corporal, T. Robertson. 
Third Corporal, B. Taylor. 
Fourth Corporal, T. Howard. 



Ambrose, L. F. 
Ashby, John. 
Armstead, VVm. 
Austin, W. 
Baker, George. 
Backbarron, Sam. 
Backbarron, E. 
Bell, G. E. 
Bradley, J. 
Bell, J. 

Boswell, D. S. 
Bradley, W. 
Butts, R. 
Blythe, W. M. 
Bell, C. F. 
Cdttrell, J. P. 
Chandler, J. H. 
Camp, S. A. 
Carrico, J. 
Christe, C. 
Dollins, B. G. 
Ellis, L. 
Fisher, W. 
Fields, Ben. 
Fields, John. 
Frields, F. 
Grady, W. 
Head, B. 



PRI\'ATES. 

Head, W. 
Head, Richard. 
Higgs, Ed. 
Higgs, D. 
Hibbs, Del. 
Head, Dick. 
Howard, T. Y. 
Haws, Dick. 
Harrison, Al. 
Howard, H. 
HoustxDn, B. 
Hobbs, T. 
Harrison, W. T. 
Haden, M. S. 
Jones, Thos. 
Johnson, M. A. 
Johnson, W. A. 
Johnson, E. C. 
Johnson, F. 
Jones, Thos. 
Jones, J. H. 
Kinneer, J. A. 
Kinneer, E. H. 
Kurtz, H. R. 
Kemble, T. 
Lancaster, B. F. 
Luckett, T. D. 
Lucket, Jo. 



Mullins, J. H. 
Morton, David 
McLean, N. C 
McClon, A. 
Peg-gins, C. 
Pritchett, J. 
Quitrell, J. 
Rummage, J. 
Riddle, T. 
Rioberts, J. A. 
Sal^s, Jas. A. 
Slover, Fred. 
Sutton, J. 
Stewart, G. 
Stewart, J. P. 
Smith, W. F. 
Sandefur, A. D. 
Smith, AL 
Sands, J. 
Thirston, W. 
Todd, T. J. 
Teare, VV. A. 
Vincell, H. 
Vidito, J. 
Wright, F. 
Webber. 
Yeizer, Broz, 



B. 



324 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



COMPANY F. REORGANIZATION. 



Captain, John S. Chapman. 
First Lieutenant, Henry Cromwell. 
Second Lieutenant, J. M. Hewitt. 
Third Lieutenant, Louis Schimmet. 
First Sergeant, Ben Buckman. 
Second Sergeant, A. M. Ferine. 
Third Sergeant, James Lynn. 
Fourth Sergeant, Henry Gilchrist. 



Alvey, William. 
Austin, William. 
Bowen, J. W. 
Blackwell, Robert. 
Beauchamp, W. 
Braddock, J. L. 
Berry, G. W. 
Ball, L. D. 
Baker, James. 
Buckman, W. C. 
Burch, Robert. 
Beauchamp, N. P. 
Catlett, Robert. 
Catlett, George. 
Chapman, Ben. 
Conway, John. 
Culver, John. 
Clark, Yeatman. 
Coleman, Thomas. 
ColeiTuan, Z. 
Connell, Frank. 
Coleman, Jack. 
Coleman, Smith. 
Drury, A. J. 
Delaney, Chas. 
Davenport, James. 
Fendrick, Thos. 



PRIVATES. 

Girten, Thos, 
Girten, Valentine. 
Gray, Nevill. 
Gobin, J. D. 
Gough, H. C. 
Graham, E. 
Gore, John. 
Greenwell, Sam. 
Hughes, Graham. 
Howell, Walker 
Harris, Fendle. 
Haskins, Robert. 
Hutchends, Henry. 
Herndon, John. 
Hern don, Thos. 
Hughes, Robert. 
Hughes, Willis. 
Hedges, James. 
Johnson, James. 
Lynn, Robert. 
Ladd, James. 
Ladd, Ben. 
Ladd, Z. 
Lynn. 

Lynn, James. 
Lynn, H. J. 
Mattingly, L. 



Moore, W. 
Moore, R. 
Mitchell, B. 
McCullough, J. B. 
Nailor, E. 
Quigley, R. 
Richardson, A. 
Riddle, J. 
Ray, Wm. 
Riley, M. 
Roach, John. 
Rayborn, C. 
Shanks, J. J. 
Stewart, John. 
Smith, Chas. 
Staftor, J. 
Spaulding, E. M. 
Staples, Geo. 
Storey, M. B. 
Trumbo, O. 
Trumbo, Ben. 
Vandiver, L. 
Wood, Chas. 
Wathen, Wm. 
Wallace, Robt. 
Yates, Wm. 




CAPTAIN JNO. S. CHAPMAN, 
Co. F, 10th Ky., P. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



325 



REORGANIZATION. 

Company F, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 
Captain, Jno S. Chapman. 
First Lieutenant, Henry Cromwell. 
Second Lieutenant, J. M. Hewitt. 
Third Lieutenant, Louis Schimmet. 
First Sergeant, Ben Buckman. 
Second Sergeant, A. M. Ferine. 
Third Sergeant, Jas. Lynn. 
Fourth Sergeant, Henry Gilchrist. 



Alvey, William. 
Austin, Wm. 
Bowen, J. W. 
Blackwell, Robt. 
Beauchamp W. 
Braddock, J. L. 
Berry, G. VV. 
Ball, L. D. 
Baker, Jas. 
Buckman, W. C. 
Burch, Robt. 
Beauchamp, N. F 
Catlett, RoM. 
Catlett, George. 
Chapman, Ben. 
Conway, Jno. 
Culver, Jno. 
Clark, Yateman. 
Coleman, Thos. 
Coleman, Z. 
Connell, Frank. 
Coleman, Jack. 
Coleman, Smith. 
Drury, J. A. 
Delaney, Chas. 
Davenport, Jas. 



PRIVATES. 

Fendrick, Thos. 
Girten, Thos. 
Girten, \''alentine. 
Gray, Neville. 
Gobin, J. D. 
Cough, H. C. 
Graham, E. 
Gore, Jno. 
Greenwell, Saml. 
Hughes, Graham. 
Howell, Walker. 
Harris, Fendle. 
Haskins, Robt, 
Hutchins, Henry. 
Herndon, Jno. 
Herndon, Thos. 
Hughes, Robt. 
Hughes, Willis. 
Hedges, Jas. 
Lynn, Robt. 
Ladd, Jas. 
Ladd, Ben. 
Ladd, Z. 
Lynn, H. J. 
Mattingly, L. 
Moore, W. 



Moore, R. 
Mitchell, B. 
McCollough, J. B. 
Nailor, E. 
Quigley, R. 
Richardson, A. 
Riddle, J. 
Ray, Wm. 
Riley, M. 
Roach, Jno. 
Raibourne, C. 
Shanks, J. J. 
Stewart, Jno. 
Smith, Chas. 
Stafford, J. 
Spalding, Ed. M. 
Staples, Geio. 
Story, M. B. 
Trumbo, O. 
Trumbo, Ben F. 
Yaudever, L. 
Wood, Chas. 
W'athen, Wm. 
Wallace, Robt. 
Yates, Wm. 
Johnson, Jas. 



6 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

Company F, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, Alfred Richardson. 

First Lieutenant, J. H. Beauchamp. 

First Sergeant, N. P. Beauchamp. 



Austin, Wm. 
Bowen, J. W. 
Blackwell, Robt. 
Beauchamp, Wm. 
Braddock, J. L. 
Berry, Geo. W. 
Ball, S. D. 
Clark, Yateman. 
Coleman, Thos. C. 
Coleman, Zebidee. 
Conrad, Frank. 
Coleman, Jack. 
Coleman, Smith. 



PRIVATES. 

Coleman, Presley, B. 
Drury, J. A. 
Delaney, Chas. 
Greenwell, Samuel. 
Harris, Fendle. 
Haskins, Robt. 
Hughes, Green. 
Lynn, Robt. 
Howell, Walker. 
Mason, Reuben. 
Mitchell, Bryant. 
McCulloch, J. B. 
Mattingly, Leonard. 



Moore, Wm. 
Naylor, Edward. 
Quigley, Robt. 
Richardson, Henry. 
Riddle, Jas. 
Ray, Wm. 
Strong, M. B. 
Wood, Chas. 
Vandiver, Lafayette. 
Trumbio, Oliver. 
Trumbo, Ben F. 



COMPANY G. REORGANIZATION. 

Captain, J. N. Taylor. 

First Lieutenant, F. G. Eakin. 

Bob Sugg was the first second lieutenant of this company; 
Mallure succeeded him. 

Second Lieutenant, G. F. C. Mallure, (in first organization was 
bugler) . 

Third Lieutenant, O. L. Barbour. 

First Sergeant, Jack Allin, succeeded O. L. Barbour as second 
lieutenant when Barbour was made adjutant. 



Arnold, G. 
Bell, Chas. 
Blanford, J. T. 
Berry, J. H. 
Blanford, I. 
Barbour, Phil. 



PRIVATES. 

Buckman, J. 
Black, R. 
Clay, B. M. 
Culver, T. R. 
Chase, W. N. 
Cook, Z. 



Dixon, J. S. 
Drury, F. F. 
Drury, J. H. 
Dance, R. T. 
Dance, J. E. 
Everett, E. R. 




CAPTAIN J. N. TAYLOR. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS- 



327 



Eblin, J. 
French, Leo. 
Floyd, R. T. 
Fowler, Peter. 
Fowler, J. 
Fowler, Joseph. 
Fowler, R. 
French, W. 
Floyd, W. 
Hardwick, Tom.- 
Hancock, Laz. 
Hargrave, J. M. 



Hart, T. E. 
Horseman, Wm. 
Grady, Bill. 
Mattingly, Charles. 
Mattingly, ''Miles." 
Mills, L. 
Mills, M. 
Nally, N. 
Lock, H. 

Penticost, Benjamin. 
Pritchett, John. 
Powell, B. 



Sights, J. B. 
Sights, A. B. 
Sights, L. B . 
Sanderfur, A. 
Sanderfur, P. 
Thomas, G. W. 
West, H. 
Williams, W. C. 
Wilson, W. J. 
Willing, Henry. 
Willing (Another), 
Wilburn, J. 



REORGANIZATION. 

Company I, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 
First Captain, Al. Fowler. 
Captain, John H. Christy. 
First Lieutenant, F. Ferris Brown. 
Second Lieutenant, J. K. P. Laftoon. 
Third Lieutenant, S. Hick Woolfolk. 
First Sergeant, Ben Newton. 
Second Sergeant, M. M. Sisk. 
Third Sergeant, C. M. Hall. 
Fourth Sergeant, H. Laffoon. 
First Corporal, D. A. Bondurant. 
Second Corporal, T. C. Hunt. 
Third Corporal, Jesse Tapp. 
Fourth Corporal, O. B. McCulley. 



Ashby, Jno. A. 
Alvis, Henry. 
Brown, C. M. 
Barron, N. D. 
Barton, Wm. H. 
Barron, N. D. 
Browning, John. 
Barpon, Wm. E. 
Bowlen, H. R. 



PRIVATES. 

Buras, W. B. 
Blandford, T. C. 
Baldwin, I. A. 
Clark, F. M. P. 
Cunningham, Jno. 
Chinn, F. 
Chinn, Jas. 
Clark, Thos. 
Cox, Wm. 



Cox, Jo. 
Cargile, John H. 
Cargile, Jas. 
Davis, H. T. 
Davis, W. T. 
Davis, D. D. 
Davis, M. H. 
Davis, Wm. P. 
Dollins, D. G. 



328 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 



Figiey, Geo. 
Fowler, L. 
Fortune, E. 
Griffin, J. Y. 
Hill, Harrison. 
Heron, A. M 
Howell, A. J. 
Howell, VVm. 
Howell, Jas. (Died.) 
Hardwick, William. 
Hardwick, Ambros. 
Hibbs, I. T. 
Hicklin, K. 
Hollbrook, W. O. 
Hunt, Thomas. 
Johnson, J. W. 
Kennett, W. F. 
Loving, Jas. D. W. 
Loving, John. 
Lyle, W. R. 
McQuigg, Byron. 
McCulley, Orlean. 
More, Morris. 
Mitchell, S. D. 
Morton, Jno. H. 



Mitchell, W. L 
Nelson, W. A. 
Nance, J. G. 
Nailer, E. W. 
Montgomery, Geo. 
McLean, J. Frank. 
McClain, L T. 
Marshall, T. S. 
Neal, L C. 
Newell, Jas. 
Gates, W. A. 
Gates, George M. 
Gates, Jas. M. 
Oldham, D. H. 
Porter, Jack. 
Price, Chas. 
Price, M. 
Robertson, Jo. 
Walker, John B. 
Wood, H. G. 
Radford, R. R. 
Ray, H. W. 
Robertson, C. J. 
Roark, Jno. 
Ray, Jack. 



Southard, K. 
Sisk, Barney. 
Slayton, S. B. 
Slayton, W. D. 
Stone, Amos. 
Sisk, Milaa 
Skales, Thomas. 
Slayton, Jo. P. 
Timmons, Polk. 
Taylor, Thos. 
Walker, A. C. R. 
Wingold, Thos. 
Whitefield, L W. 
Wicks, 1. E. 
Walker, L E. 
Woolfolk, Jno. B. 
Spirey, Wm. 
Wicks, Jos. 
Laffoon, S. B. 
Webb, Jas. 
Todd, O. C. 
Winstead, Dr. M. B. 
Walker, John B. 
Wood, Hillie. 



REORGANIZATION. 



Captain, H. C. Merriweather. 
First Lieutenant, D. Chipley. 
Second Lieutenant J. A. Monday. 
Third Lieutenant N. B. Dupuy.. 
First Sergeant, L. T. Banks. 
Second Sergeant, W. P. Neal. 
Third Lieutenant, James Falls. 
Fourth Lieutenant, George Green. 
First Corporal, S. S. Loyal. 
Second Corporal, J. S. Morgan. 
Third Corporal, Wm. Pence. 
Fourth Corporal, J. A. Quick. 




1. CAPT. T. H. HAMBY. 2. CAPT. H. CLAY MERIWETHER. 

3. LIEUT. I. K. ALLEN. 



And other officers of the Partisan Rangers In camp. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS- 



329 



Absden, J. 
Bell, Wm. 
Boswell, G. W. 
Boardman, Samuel. 
Clore, L. 
Christian, J. T. 
Carlisle, B. L. 
Cavendar, Thomas. 
Corbett, Wm. 
Combs, E. S. 
Davidson, B. 
Estez, J. G. 
Estez, Richard. 
Fisher, H. 
Fowler, G. H. 
Hayden, Joseph. 
Hayden, J. H. 
Henderson, J. 
Hall, F. A. 
Hanna, W. M. 
Hewell, Samuel. 
Henry, Thos. B, 
Henel, Sam. 
Johnspn, G. W. 



PRIVATES. 

Johnson, J. C. 
Kelley, E. 
Kincaid, Jesse. 
Lawson, J. W. 
Lawson, Pat. 
Lockett, James. 
Lockett, J. W. 
Laycock, Fred. 
Mitchell, J. H. 
McMahan, J. W. 
Morgan, T. B. 
McQuiddy, O. 
Morrow, Stephen. 
Malburn, G. T. C. 
Newman, N. H. 
Newman, N. M. 
Newman, R. L. 
Newman, T. M. 
Nokes, J. 
Nance, Jno. W. 
Osburn, Chas. 
O'Bannan, C. S. 
Parker, J. C. 
Parker, R. L. 



Powell, Fred. 
Quinn, Jam^. 
Quinn, Bud. 
Ross, F. 
Robbins, J. L. 
Rollins, Thos. L. 
Summers, S. 
Sebree, J. 
Shields, Wm. B. 
Simmerman^ T. 
Sledge, A. D. 
Sherrod, Wm. 
Trafton, L. W. 
Trimble, Thos. 
Tryte, H. G. 
Wilhelm, F. 
Williams, F. 
Wood, Chas. T. 
Wood, Charles. 
Woodward, Wm. 
Willey, Henry T. 
Winstead, W. T. 
Winstead, T. JelT. 
Walker^ Henry. 



REORGANIZATION. 
Company H, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, J. N. Taylor. 
First Lieutenant, F. G. Eakin. 
Second Lieutenant, G. F. C. Mallure. 
Third Lieutenant, O L. Barbour. 
First Sergeant, Jack Allin. 



Arnold, G. 
Bell, Chas. 
Blanford, J. T 



PRIVATES. 

Berry, J. H. 
Blanford, I. 
Barbour, Phil. 



Buckman, J. 
Black, R. 
Clay, B. M. 



330 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



Culver, T. R. 
Chase, W. N. 
Cook, Z. 
Dixon, J. S. 
Drury, F. F. 
Drury, J. H. 
Dance, R. T. 
Dance, J. E. 
Everett, E. R. 
Eblin, J. 
French, Leo. 
French, Henry. 
Floyd, R. T. 
Fowler, Peter. 
Fowler, J. 



Fowler, Jos. 
Fowler, R. 
French, W. 
Grady, Wm. 
Floyd, W. 
Hardwich,, Tiom. 
Hargrave, J. M. 
Harte, T. E. 
Horseman, Wm. 
Mattingly, Chas. 
Mills, L. 
Mills, M. 
Nally, N. 
Lock, H. 
Penticost, B. 



Pritchett, Jno. 
Powell, B. 
Sights, J. B. 
Sights, A. B. 
Sights, L. B. 
Sandefur, A. 
Sandefur, P. 
Thomas, G. W» 
West, H. 
Williams, W. C. 
Wilson, W. J. 
Willing, Henry. 
Wilburn, J. 



Company H, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, J. N. Taylor. 

First Lieutenant, F. G. Eakins. 

First Sergeant and Lieutenant, Jack Allin. 



Arnold, Giles. 
Bell, Chas. 
Blansford, J. T. 
Berry, J. H. 
Blansford, Ignatius. 
Buckman, Thos. 
Barbour, Phil. 
Biggs, Peter. 
Black, Richard. 
Clay, B. M. 
Culver, Thos. R. 
Culver, Wm. H. 
Culver, Randal. 
Chase, W. A. 
Cook, Zack. 
Dixon, Jios. S. 
Drury, F. F. 



PRIVATES. 

Drury, J. H. 
Dance, R. T. 
Dance, J. E. 
Everitt, E. R. 
Eblin, Jno. 
French, Leo. 
French, Henry. 
Fowler, Peter. 
Floyd, Robt. 
Fowler, Jas. 
Fowler, Jos. 
Fowler, Robt. 
French, Willis. 
Floyd, Wm. 
Hargood, J. M. 
Hart, Thos. E. 
Horseman, Will. 



Lock, Henry. 
Mattingly, Church. 
Mills, Tim. 
Mills, Martin. 
Penteaost, Ben. 
Sights, J. D. 
Sights, L. B. 
Sights, A. B. 
Sandefur, Philip. 
Sandefur, Arch. 
Thomas, P. W. 
Vest, H. 

Williams, W. C. 
Wilson, W. J. 
Wilburn, Jno. 
Willing, A. 
Wally, Henry. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 



331 



COMPANY K. REORGANIZATION. 

First Captain, Rev. W. C. Dimmitt. 
Second Captain, John H. Hamby. 
First Lieutenant, A. R. Prince. 
Second Lieutenant, Ben White. 
Third Lieutenant, Crit. McKniglit. 
First Sergeant, P. Giles. 
Second Sergeant, W. T. Jackson.^ 
Third Sergeant, R. L. Baker. 
Fourth Sergeant, M. V. Darnell. 
First Corporal, D. H. Howton. 
Second Corporal, I. H. Boyd. 
Third Corporal, M. B. Howell. 
Fourth Corporal, Wright Crockett. 



Allen, James. 
Allen, John. 
Allen, Mat. 
Armstrong, John. 
Ausenbaugh, Charles. 
Ausenbaugh, Bailey. 
Brooks, T. M. 
Beckner, A. N. 
Claxton, Wm. 
Clayton, W, L. 
Dillingham, W. R. 
Dockery, James. 
Eagen, Nicholas. 
Eison, Charles. 
Ellis, John. 
Grissom, M. C. 
Herron, J. H. 



PRIVATES. 

Herrfon, Elisha. 
Biggins, Nick. 
Hunter, W. J. 
Hunter, H. C. 
Handley, J. W. 
Hill, Lewis. 
Holbell, J. H. 
Hayes, G. W. 
Jackson, J. 
Lamb, Winfield. 
Lewis, T. S. 
McKnight, D. H. 
Mounts, William. 
Mercer, T. L. 
Martin, Robert. 
McKnight, W: T 
Nichols, Wm. 



Pasteur, Frank. 
Robertson, J. H. 
Self, W. M. 
Self, J. B. 
Stallions, I. M. 
Scott, G. R. 
Scott, H. L. 
Stovall, D. M. 
Trusty, W. M. 
Tapley, John. 
Yates, W. M. 
Utley, A. 
Veal, Thos. 
Van Dorn, 



Williams, S. W. 
White, David. 
White, William. 



REORGANIZATION. 

Company K, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

First Captain, Rev. W. C. Dimmitt. 
Captain, Jno. H. Hamby. 



332 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 



First Lieutenant, A. R. Prince. 
Second Lieutenant, Ben White. 
Third Lieutenant, L C. Mc Knight. 
First Sergeant, P. Giles. 
Second Sergeant, W. T. Jackson. 
Third Sergeant, R. L. Baker. 
Fourth Sergeant, M. V. Darnell. 
First Corporal, D. H. Houton. 
Second Corporal, I. H. Boyd.- 
Third Corporal, M. B. Howell. 
Fourth Corporal, Wright Crockett. 



Allin, Jas. 
Armstrong, J no. 
Ausenbaugh, Chas. 
Ausenbaugh, Bailey. 
Brooks, T. M. 
Beckner, A. N. 
Claxton, Wm. 
Clayton, W. L. 
Dillingham, W. R. 
Dockery, Jas. 
Eagin, Nicholas. 
Eison, Chas. 
Ellis, Jno. 
Grissom, M. C. 
Heron, J. H. 
Heron, Elisha. 
Higgins, Nick. 



PRIVATES. 

Hunter, W. J. 
Hunter, H. C. 
Hill, Lewis. 
Holbell, J. H. 
Hayes, G. W. 
Jackson, J. 
Lamb, Winfield. 
Lewis, T. S. 
McKnight, D. H. 
Mounts, W. 
Merser, T. L. 
Martin, Robt. 
McKnight, W. T, 
Nichols, Wm. 
Pastur, F. A. 
Robertson, J. H. 
Self, W. M. 



Self, J. B. 
Stalian, I. M. 
Scott, G. R. 
Scott, H. L. 
Stovall, D. M. 
Trusty, W. M. 
Tapley, Jno. 
Yates, Wm, M. 
Utley, A. 
Veal, Thos. 
Van Dorn. 



Williams, S. W. 
William, 



White, David. 
Allen, Jno. 
Handley, J. V/. 



Company H, Tenth Kentucky, Partisan Rangers. 

Captain, J. S. Chapman. 

First Lieutenant, H. Cromwell. 

First Sergeant, A. M. Perrine. 



Alvey, T. 
Buckman, N. C. 



PRIVATES. 

Birch, R. 
Catlet, R. 



Chapman, B. 
Davenport, J. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS^ 



Grayham, E. 
Girten, T. 
Girten, V. 
Gabin, J. 
Goug'h, C. 
Hopkins, B. 
Holcomb, E. 
Hughes, J. G. 
Hughes, J. 
Hodges, J. 



Hardeiter, T. 
Ladd, J. 
Ladd, B. 
Ladd, Z. 
Lynn, H. J. 
Lynn, J. 
Riley, M. . 
Rouch, J. 
Reburn, C. 
Schimmel, N. 



Stafford, J. 
Smith, C. 
Stewart, J. 
Shanks, J. J. 
Fenderick, T. 
Wathen, J. 
Waller. 
Yates, W. 
Gray, N. 



FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS OF THIRTEENTH KENTUCKY; 

CAVALRY. 

Colonel, L. A. Sypert, Christian county, Kentucky. Died since 
war. 

^ Lieutenant-Colonel, Robert Soery. Killed at Bear Creek, Tennes- 
see. 

Second Lieutenant-Colonel, L. D. Hockersmith, Madisonville, 
Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

First Major, Walker Taylor. 

First Adjutant, Joseph Walker, Madisonville, Hopkins county,. 
Kentucky. 

Second Adjutant, Geo. Whitecotton, Sullivan, Union county, Ken- 
tucky. 

Surgeon, Dr. Hugh Crowell, Crittenden county, Kentucky. Killed 
after war by Captain Frank Hawkins, U. S. A. 

Quartermaster, Ely Nunn, Repton, Crittenden county, Kentucky. 

Commissary, Frank M. Kuykendall, Union county, Kentucky. 
Promoted from first sergeant major. 

Second Sergeant Major, Amplias Timmons, Hopkins cpunty, 
Kentucky. 

COMPANY LIST OF CAPTAINS. 

Company A, Wm. C. Kuykendall, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Company B, Henry Wilson, Clarksville, Tennessee. 

Company D, Geo. Sellers, Union county, Kentucky; First 
Lieutenant, Ben F. Perkins; Second Lieutenant, Lon McKinley; 
Third Lieutenant, Wm. Funk, all of Union county. 

Company C, Presley Carr, Union county, Kentucky. 



334 THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 

Company E, Nath. Calhoun, Kentucky. 

Company F, Webster, Kentucky. 

Company G, B. F. Wallace, Kentucky. 

Company H, Neil Helm, Kentucky. 

Company I, Captain Ai. McGoodwyn, Caldwell county, Kentucky. 

Company K, Captain Nelson, Kentucky. 

Official Scout, Jack Tomblin, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

This Thirteenth Kentucky Regiment was consolidated with the 
Twelfth and Eighth Kentucky Regiments February, 1865, com- 
manded by (that grand old soldier of two wars) Colonel A. R. 
Shacklett, of Island, Kentucky, who, though totally blind, enjoys a 
talk with old comrades. This June 10, 1904, make somebody happy 
by going to see him. You will be better by the visit. — Frank A. 
Owen. 

COMPANY A, THIRTEENTH KENTUCKY CAVALRY. 
C. S. A. 

Commanded by Captain Wm. C. Kuykendall 

First Lieutenant, Cokendolpher. Afterward promoted to captain. 
Second Lieutenant, Jno. H. Crudup. Afterward promoted to 

first lieutenant- 
Third Lieutenant, Thos. M. Brown. Afterward promoted to 

second lieutenant. 
Second Lieutenant, Jas. Gist. Afterward promoted to third 

lieutenant. 

Orderly Sergeant, Geo. E. Price, Clay, Kentucky. 

PRIVATES. 

Adcock, Can., Hopkins county, Kentucky. 
Aldridge, Jno. H., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Anderson, Bud, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 
Allen, John, Georgia. 
Brooks, John, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Buck, Theo., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Burnett, Pat., Hopkins county, Kentucky. 
Bennett, Richard, Union count}^ Kentucky. 
Black, Huston, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Brown, John, Webster county, Kentucky. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 335 

Bails, P., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Bean, John, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Cunningham, John, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Cardwell, G. H., Christian county, Kentucky. 
Catlett, Al., Union county, Kentucky. 
Clark, Marsh, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Cardwell, Geo. S., Webster county, Kentucky. Desperately; 
wounded at Grubbs' Crossroads. 
Cap, Red, Texas. 

Coleman, J as., Union county, Kentucky. 
Dunning, Ben., Union county, Kentucky. 
Doris, Saml., Webster county, Kentucky. 
David, J as. A., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Dye, Enoch, W^ebster county, Kentucky. ; 

Daves, Thos., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Dills, Ben., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Dills, J as., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Dial, E., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Day, Jas. D., Manitou, Kentucky. 
Day, Ben, Manitou, Kentucky. 
Davos, Lige, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 
Davis, Sam, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 
Edings, Nathaniel, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Farwell, W. H., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Fletcher, Jas., W^ebster county, Kentucky. 
Fowler, Jas., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Fowler, Thos., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Givens, W. H., W^ebster county, Kentucky. 
McGill, Riley, Webster county, Kentucky. 
McGill, W. R., Union county, Kentucky. 
McGill, Jas. Harvey, Union county, Kentucky. 
Gilmore, Frank, Union counK', Kentucky. 

Herin, , Webster county, Kentucky. 

Hall, Hill N., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Hunter,- Ben, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Hill, Jas., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Hardin, Jno., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Herron, Buck, Webster county, Kentucky. 
Herron, Esq., Webster county, Kentucky. 
Hall, Wm. v., Webster county, Kentucky. 



336 THE PARTISAN RAXGERS. 

Hyman, Hazel, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Holeman, Thomas, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Hoff, Wm., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Howton, Ben, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Hammock, Steve, Union county, Kentucky. 

Hazel, H., Union county, Kentucky. 

James, Miles B., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Johnson, Noah, Jr., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Johnson, Noah, Sr., Webster county, Kentucky. 

King, Jas., Henderson county, Kentucky. 

Kuykendall, Jas., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Kuykendall, Frank M., Webster county, Kentucky, 

Kezee, Huston, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Lewallen, Pedney, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Lynn, Isaac, Webster county, Kentucky. 

McLendon, Geo., Webster county, Kentucky. 

McLeon, G., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Mitchell, Henry, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Matthews, Geo., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Mangum, Thos., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Monroe, J. G., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Matthie, Andrew Ben, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Montgomery, Wm., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Martin, David, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Music, Sam, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Monrowe, Wood, Webster county, Kentucky. 
I Monroe, J. G., \\'ebster county, Kentucky. 

' Mangum, Cam., Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Nunn, Jno., Crittenden county, Kentucky. 

Nunn, Ely, Crittenden aounty, Kentucky 

Nisbett, Cris. C, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Philipps, Wm., Crittenden county, Kentucky. 

Phillipps, Ed., Crittenden county, Kentuck}^ 

Phillipps, Thos., Crittenden count}', Kentucky. 

Potts, Tillman, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Potts, Robt., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Patterson, Jno., Tennessee. 

Price, G E., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Price, Elihue, Webster county, Kentucky. 




GEORGE BERRY. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS- 33? 

Powell, , Daviess county, Kentucky. Executed by Gen« 

eral Burbridge's order. 

Powell, Wm., Sebree, Kentucky. 

Royster, Wm., Henderson county, Kentucky. 

Roland, , Webster county, Kentucky. 

Saler, Jas., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Skinner, Ashburg, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Smith, Roley, F., Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Stites, Jack, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Shaw, Jno. (Uncle Jack). 

Thornton, Geo., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Thurman, Barney, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Urby, Dudley, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Vaughn, J. S., Webster county, Kentucky. Quartermaster of 
regiment. 

Vaughn, Johnson, Webster county. 

Vaughn, Jo. C, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Vaughn, Allen, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Vaughn, JelT., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wagoner, B., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wallace, Abram, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wallace, Collen, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Whitecotton, Geo., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wallace, Ben. F., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wallace, Abe C., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wallace, Jas. T., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wallace, W. R., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Woodard, Ben E., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wynn, Wm. C., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wicks, Jas. W., Webster county, Kentucky. 

Wiley, Geo., Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Wilson, Wm., Crittenden county, Kentucky. 

Williams, H. B., Crittenden county, Kentucky. 

FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS OF SIXTEENTH KENTUCKY 

CAVALRY. 

Colonel, J. Q. A. Chenoweth, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. 
Lieutenant-Colonel, Sidney Cunningham. 

Major, Jones, Bowling Green, Warren county, Kentucky. 

Surgeon, Norbom Berry, Henderson county, Kentucky. 



338 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Quartermaster, David A. Brooks. 

Commissary, John Lynn, Lyon county, Kentucky. 

Adjutant, Dr. . Acted at beginning. 

Captain Harris, of Mississippi; had few men in this command. 

Captain John Head, from Colonel Wm. Hollis' regiment, 42 men. 

Captain Jos. H. Payne, Missouri, number of men, 42. 

Captain Wm. Quinn, number of men, 83. 

Captain Nelson, number of men, 36. 

Captain Lindsey Duke Buckner, number of men, 75. 

First Lieutenant, J. P. Pearce, Marion, Kentucky. 

Second Lieutenant, Dave Varnell, Lyon county, Kentucky. 

Third Lieutenant, Wm. White, Lyon county, Kentucky. 

Orderly Sergeant, Sam C. Barnett, Caldwell county, Kentucky. 

Captain Rushing, Kentucky. 

Captain George B. Payne, number of men, 56. 

Major Housley's Battalion, number of men, 320. 

Names of his captains misplaced. 

Captain J. J. January, number of men, 65. 

Captain John Brooks, number of men, 32. 

Captain or Major Dorch, number of men about 300; was con- 
nected with the command first, and afterward became the Fourth 
Tennessee Battalion of Cavalry. 

Total number of men, l,o59. 

F^especilully submitted, 

FRANK A. OWEN. 

COMPANY D, SIXTEENTH KENTUCKY CA\'ALRY. 

This company belonged to Colonel Chenoweth's Regiment,. 
Sixteenth Kentucky Cavalry. 

Captain John J. January's company was regularly organized at 
Brice's Mills, in Webster county, August 17th or I8th, 1864. 

Letter of Company was D. Chenoweth's Regiment. 

First Lieutenant, James Waller, of Hopkins county. Killed at 
Canton, Kentuck}^, August 23, 1864. 

Second Lieutenant, Chilton Reed, of Warren county. Went 
through the war; whereabouts not known, if living; was promoted 
to first lieutenant; some say, later to captain. 

Wm. Quinn, of Henderson, Kentucky, became captain ia 
September. 




DR. GEORGE PORTER, 
1st Surgeon 10th Ky. Paitisan Rangers. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS^ 339 

Bub Quinn, of Henderson, Kentucky, became first lieutenant in 
his company. 

George Riddle, of Union county. Killed at Grubbs' Crossroads. 

Sam Riddle, of Union county. Killed at Grubbs' Crossroads. 

Marshal Clark, of Union county. Living. 

Clint Balough, of Union county. Living. 

Robert Pots, of Unioo county. Died in Camp Chase. 

James Pots, of Union county. Died in Camp Chase. 

Herron, of Webster county. Died in Camp Chase. 

Herron, of Webster county. Died in Camp Chase. 

Thos. Skinner, of Webster county. Died in Camp Chase. 

Asbury Skinner, of Webster county. Living. 

Jas. Michill, of Webster county. Living. 

Wm. Wise, of Webster county. 

Sam C. Humphrey, of Webster county. 

Bud Slzemore, of Webster county. Living 

A. Lee Brown, of Webster county. Living. St. Louis. 

John Bnown, of Hopkins county. Killed at Grubbs' Crossroads. 

Dr. J. S. Waller, of Hanson, Hopkins county. Living. 

Jonah Tippitt, of Hanson, Hopkins county. Living. 

James Hibbs, of Hanson, Hopkins county. Living. 

Ben F. Heart, Manatoe, Hopkins county. Died after war. 

Henry Mitchell, of Manatoe, Hopkins county. Wounded in fight 
with negro regiment; died after war. 

Hyram Yeates, of Manatoe, Hopkins county. Killed in fight with 
negro regiment between Eddyville and Johnsonville same day that 
Colonel Soery was killed. 

James Sales, of Pleasant Grove, Hopkins county. Living. 

Robert Hall, Madispnville, Kentucky. Living. 

David Cryder, of Union or Crittenden county; don't know. 

Cameron Mangum, of Hopkins county. Died in Texas. 

Thomas Mangum, of Hopkins county. Living in Texas. 

John Burton, of Hopkins county. Died at Camp Chase, 1865. 

Jesse Burton, of Hopkins county. Killed near Burksville, Ken- 
tucky, December, 1864. 

Wm. Wilkerson, of Hopkins county. Living in Texas. 

John Tomllnson, of Hopkins county. Living at Ashbysburg, 
Kentucky. 

Finas Timmons, of Hopkins county. Died in 1873. 

John Crabtree, of Madisonville. Living. 



340 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

(Supplied by Jack Tomlinson.) 
Larah Dossett, Sacramento, Kentucky. Living in Texas, 



Zachariah Tliomeson, of Webster county. Living near Nuckels, 
Kentucky. 

Garland (Frosty), of Springfield, Webster county. Living near 
Sebree, Kentucky. 

George W. Wiley, of Hopkins county. Living near Hanson, 
Kentucky. 

Polk Walker, of Hopkins county. If living, near Hanson, 
Kentucky. 

Andrew Staton, of Hopkins county. Murdered by order of 
General Burbridge at same time witii John Brooks. 

Sim Hobgood, of Hopkins county. Living near Slaughtersville, 
Kentucky. 

Pleas. Cobb, of Webster county. Living in Owensboro, 
Kentucky. 

Frank Kuykendall, of Union county. Living in Missouri; acting 
lieutenant. 

Thomas Jewell, of Webster county. Living near Delaware, 
Kentucky. 

Sam C. Humphrey, of Webster county. Living at Guntersville, 
Mississippi. 

James Gist, of Webster county. Living at Providence, Kentucky. 

Theo. Brown, of Hopkins county. Living in Texas. 

Henry Brown, of Hopkins county. Living in Texas. 

Jo. Ashby, of Hopkins county, Ky. Died in 1898. 

David Johnson, of Hopkins county. Living in Texas. 

Wm. J. Clayton, of Hanson, Kentucky. Living. 

Richard D. Clayton, of Hanson, Kentucky. Living. 

Calvin Yarbrough, of Hanson, Kentucky. Prisoner at Hopkins- 
ville, Kentucky, December, 1864, and murdered by order of Gen- 
eral Steve Burbridge at Louisville, January, 1865. 

Geo. S. Cardwill, Hopkins county. Living at Louisville, Kentucky. 
Desperately wounded at Grubbs' Crossroads. 

Marion McCormick, of Hopkins county. Died in Mississippi, 1875. 

Wm. Yarbrough,, of Hopkins county. Living at Nebo, KeKntucky. 

Frank Myers, of Hopkins county. Living near Sebree, Kentucky. 

Marion Myers, Company A, Tenth Kentucky. Killed during war ; 
place not known. 




THOMAS M. BROOKS (and Grandson, Robert Thompson) 
Co. H, 10th Ky., P. R. 



ROSTER OF THE RANGERS. 341 

Eaf Roby, of Webster county, orderly sergeant. Living in Mis- 
sissippi. 

Robert Buts, a brave Irishman, of Union county. Don't know. 

Buford Carlisle, of Hopkins county. Died about 1893. 

John Carlisle, Jr., of Hopkins county. Died in Missouri in 1880. 

John Brooks, of Hopkins county. Murdered by General Steve 
Burbridge's order at Louisville, 1864. 

Amplias Timmons, of Hopkins county. Living in Texas. 

VVm. Ashley, of Hopkins county. Died in 1895. 

W. B. Anderson and others whose names we can not get now. 

FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS OF ELEVENTH KENTUCKY 

CAVALRY. 

Colonel, William Hollis, Webster county, Kentucky. 

Lieutenant-Colonel, Holmes . 

Major, James Waller, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Adjutant, J. Thomas Greer, Hopkinsville, Kentucky. 

Quartermaster, Fred Kline, Henderson county, Kentucky . 

Commissary, A. " Coney " Owen, Hopkins county, Kentucky. 

Captain, Thomas Henry, Union county, Kentucky, 71 men. 

Captain, T. Basham, Bonham, Texas, 32 men. 

Captain, Ad Anderson, Texas, 40 men. 

Captain, J. J. January, Kentucky, 85 men. 

Captain, Lindsey, Kentucky, 27 men. 

Captain, Nelson, Benton, Kentucky, 33 men. 

Captain, H. J. Buck, Tennessee, 16 men. 

Captain, Alex. Uttley, 22 men. 

Captain, Henry Wedding, Corydon, Kentucky, 18 men. 

Captain, Ollie Steel, Henderson county, Kentucky, 30 men. 

Captain, Jas. Wallace, 36 men. 

Sergeant Major, E. D. Amett, Henderson county, Kentuck}^ 

Total number of men, 410. 

This regiment was organized thoroughly, but fifty-two men of 
the four hundred and ten were " armed, and two hundred and five 
had horses. On 22d of June, 1863, they were attacked by five 
companies of the Thirty-fifth Kentucky U. S. Cavalry. Colonel 
Hollis and Lieutenant Wm. Duvall were killed, eight wounded, six 
captured and the battalion put to flight, who subsequently joined 



342 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 



other commands. This was the end of the Eleventh Kentucky 
Cavalry as an organization. Respectfully, 

FRANK A. OWEN. 

CAPT. NEIL HELM'S SCOUTS. 

Captain, Neil Helm. 

First Lieutenant, Wm. Hamby. 

Second Lieutenant, Chas. Taylor. 

Third Lieutenant, Rogers. 

Orderly Sergeant, Tom Bryson. 
Second Sergeant, Fletcher Stephens. 
Third Sergeant, Henry Sampson. 
Fourth Sergeant, Phillip Smith. 
First Corporal, Geo. Uttley. 
Second Corporal, Marion Dunn. 
Third Corporal, John Ashley. 
Fourth Corporal, Fred Frazier. 



James Donally. 
David Phillips. 
S. J. Scurry. 
Thepdore Davidson. 
Wm. Sugg. 
Jno. Divine. 
Peter Smith. 
Henry Hardwick. 
Salem Frazier. 
Cyrus Garth. 
Daniel Simms. 
Henry Simms. 
J. J. McCormick. 
Ed. J. Jo'hnson. 
Thos. Phillips. 
S. G. Threadgill. 
P. B. Snodgrass. 
E. G. Brown. 
O. B. Dodd. 
Z. T. Bush. 



PRIVATES. 

Fred. C. Foster. 
D. T. Wood. 
Thos. Shannon. 
Jno. Saxton. 
Henry S. Sexton. 
David Bean. 
Jno. O'Conner. 
Ben C. Thorpe. 
Henry Dixon. 
Bailey Traweek. 
Robt. Ridgley. 
F. Ainsworth. 
Geo. Furgeson. 
Frank V. Stephenson. 
Phillip Fowler, 
Geo. Johnson. 
Chas. Abney. 

A. C. Bullett. 

B. L. Caraway. 
J. L. Curtain. 



Vincent Dalton. 
Conrad Clayton. 
Sandy Slocum. 
L. D. Farmer. 
R. Y. Robins. 
Linzey Leslie. 
Thos. Dyer. 
D. G. Vincent. 
Volney Paine. 
Z. P. Denison. 
Alex. Bentjon. 
Tom. C. Posey. 
A. B. Van Zandt. 
I. C. Pinson. 
G. D. Galloway. 
C. O. Foster. 
David Kinkead. 
Henry A. Chadwick. 




CAPT. WILLIAM BRANK McLEAN, 



Commander Ste 



'Curie 



WILLIAM BRAXK M'LEAN. 34.5 



Incidents and Adventures. 

CAPTAIN WILLIAM BRANK McLEAN. 
Commander of Steamer '' Curlew." 

Captain Wm. B. McLean was born at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 
June 25, 1820. He handled the steamer "Newsboy" during the 
war, plying between Henderson and Evansville. Previous to the 
war he owned and managed the steamer *' Bowling Green," run- 
ning between Evansville and Bowling Green. During the war he 
\\2iS arrested on suspicion of aiding the Southern cause, was kept 
under military guard at Indianapolis for about six weeks, but fail- 
ing to make out a case against him, he was released without a 
trial. Captain Lew Wallace, who had him in charge, treated him 
with every courtesy he could ask, and was instrumental in obtaining 
his release. 

He died December 1, 1880, at the age of sixty years, and is buried 
in '' Oak Hill " Cemetery at Evansville, Ind. He was a warm 
friend of the South, and ran many risks to furnish us supplies. He 
brought me the proposition from the Sons of Liberty previously 
mentioned. 



AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

B}^ Frank Amplias Owen. 

This abridged history is useful as a succinct summary of the 
incidents hereinbefore related in Part I, particularly as it gives 
dates which are lacking in the fuller account. 

On the first of June, 1862, F. A. Owen became my first recruit. 
Older men who had raised a nucleus (of companies had refused to 
follow me as their leader on account of " youth and inexperience,'* 
men who afterward led to my standard companies of gallant and 
enthusiastic young soldiers, all of whom, both officers and men, 
thenceforward manifested the utmost confidence in their commander 
and always stood by me faithfully and manfully in every emer- 
gency to the bitter end. 

Owen was then only seventeen, but had been in a Federal 
prison and had escaped. He was a quiet, amiable boy, and his 
round, pleasant face made him appear more youthful than he was. 
A brave, patient, earnest, model soldier, true as steel to those whom 
he professed friendship for and loyal always to his country's cause. 
He is still living, his home now being in Evansville, Indiana; and 
though white-haired, he still holds in his business the same standard 
of downright honesty that was so marked in the gallant young 
soldier. 

owen's story. 

Johnson, Martin and Owen alone attacked and utterly demoral- 
ized the Federal provost guard company stationed in the National 
Hotel at Henderson, Kentucky, on June 7, 1862. Subsequently they 
were engaged in recruiting the Breckinridge Guards until the thir- 
teenth of the same month, when Captain Johnson, with six men at- 

844 




MAJOR FRANK AMPLIAS OWEN. 



AN OUTLINE HISTORY. 345 

tacked a Union force of three hundred and fifty men. The enemy 
were camped at Woodson's or Browning's Spring in the outskirts of 
Madisonville, and had with them two pieces of artillery. Johnson's 
little handful of determined young Confederates drove this large 
force pellmell from their camip. 

On the fourteenth of June they received twenty new recruits and 
at once started in pursuit of the fleeing Federals and followed them 
to Henderson. The citizens of that town, hearing of their approach, 
sent out a delegation of the prominent men of the city headed by 
the Mayor, Colonel Ed Hall, accompanied by the county Judge, 
Trafton, ex-Congressman John Young Brown, afterwards Governor 
of the State, J. H. Barrett, and others to meet Johnson and request 
him to state what his action toward the Union mjen of the town 
would be. The young Confederate told them that he was not 
making war upon private citizens, and rode into the town and 
raised the Confederate flag over the court house, though the captain 
of the gunboat lying off the town seriously objected. 

The next day this same squad of daring young soldiers, led by 
the gallant Johnson, captured Newburg, Indiana, paroled one 
hundred and eighty prisoners, and carried off five hundred stands 
of arms, though not a gun was fired. 

Johnson and Martin now received recruits until the 4th of 
July, when a big barbecue was arranged for them by the citizens 
of Slaughtersville who wished to show their appreciation of this 
first daring invasion of Northern soil by such a small force of brave 
*' wearers of the gray." While this band of loyal Southerners were 
enjoying the good things that the ladies of the town had prepared 
for them, news was brought to them that a large force from 
Newburg and Evansville, Indiana, who had captured and shot John 
Patterson, was fast approaching. The forty-seven new recruits 
gathered by Johnson and Martin were quickly organized and 
preparations made to meet the advance. That night this little 
band of Confederates attacked the Federal pickets on the several 
roads and so demoralized them that they retreated in confusion to 
their homes. 

Owen and Johnson went to see poor Patterson, who had been 
removed from Samuel's farm to a cabin in the woods some dis- 
tance from the battleground, and where he was safe from the 
Federal soldiers. They found him suffering intensely, but brave 
enough to stand the' move to old man Jesse Brown's, seven or 



346 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

eight miles in the interior, safe from any chance of capture and 
where he received every attention possible from the kind family 
and the neighbors who called, Dr. Jenkins's people and others too 
numerous to mention. This splendid nursing finally restored Pat- 
terson to health, and soon he wedded a young woman who did 
not mind his being blind, and the two settled down and made their 
living and raised a family, being good and thrifty citizens. Patter- 
son only died within the last few years, and left his widow and 
I several grown children to mourn his loss. 

From this time on Johnson and Martin recruited rapidly, for 
nothing '' succeeds like success " in military affairs as well as in 
the quieter walks of life, for soldiers, like other men, worship a 
rising rather than a setting sun. Soon their forces increased to three 
hundred and fifty men, and they advanced upon the city of Hop- 
kinsville and captured a small force of Federals and home guards 
without firing a gun. Emboldened by this success, they next 
attacked the larger and more strongly-fortified and fully-manned 
city of Clarksville, Tennessee, where they took Colonel Mason's 
Seventh Ohio Regiment, no resistance being made to their reckless 
charge right up to the enemy's breastworks. This occurred in the 
month of August, and the next thing the little band of Confederates 
decided to recapture Fort Donelson, but on ascertaining that this 
place was too strongly fortified for their small force, they made 
a gallant charge upon the troops concealed behind these historic 
breastworks, then retired in good order toward Clarksville. On 
" reaching Rolling Mills, on the Cumberland river, now known as 
Bear Springs, Furnier, Tennessee, they had a lively fight with a 
band of Federal cavalry from Fort Henry, and came off victorious, 
with colors flying. This engagement was also in August, 1862. 

Ever active and enterprising, and like the proverbial Irishman 
at a country fair in the "ould country" always looking for a 
fight, they moved northward and charged and blazed away at a 
regiment of infantry from Hoosierdom at Uniontown, Kentucky. 
Here these successful Confederates captured the entire force with 
all their camp equipage. After paroling their captives, Johnson 
and Martin moved their captured stores to Geiger's Lake, left a 
small company to guard them, then disbanded and went home after 
the manner of partisan rangers or ancient Scottish clans. It was 
understood that they were to rendezvous at a certain date at the 



AN OUTLINE HISTORY. 347 

Holman farm in Webster county, in the hills between Dixon and 
Boxville. 

After disbanding, it was le-arned that Colonel J. M. Shackelford, 
commanding a Yankee regiment, had received information that 
there was a small Confederate camp at Geiger's Lake, where 
Johnson had stored all his captured goods, including the cannon 
taken from Mason at Clarksville, Tennessee, and that he intended 
marching there. Lieutenant Bob Martin, with about fifty men, 
hastily formed an ambush where it was supposed the enemy would 
have to pass going from the north. Colonel Johnson was sick, but 
with twelve other invalids, guarded their camp. While the ambush- 
ing party were quietly waiting for Colonel Shackelford to walk ' 
into their nicely-laid trap, where all their men were well placed and 
their cannon masked, they were surprised at hearing firing in the 
camp on the lake in the rear. Martin was sitting on his horse, the 
others having dismounted, and upon hearing the shots at once 
galloped back to the camp and found that Colonel Johnson had 
gone around the end of the lake when he discovered the advance 
of the Federals from the south instead of the north, and through 
a by-path that the Confederates had not been aware of. Johnson, 
ever a close-quarter fighter, allowed Shackelford's force to come up 
to the lake without interference. Thinking that the Confederates 
had deserted their camp, the Yankees gave shouts of exultation, for 
they believed they were to meet with no opposition and were quite 
jubilant in their delusion. Just at this juncture, when they were in 
disorder, pillaging the tents they had so easily captured, our little 
invalid corps, under their strategic leader, suddenly fired into them 
from the other side of the lake, then quickly fell back some distance 
(out of view, and while Shackelford was forming his men for an 
attack upon the men who had so unceremoniously spoiled their 
fun, Martin dashed up from the rear. Two Federal squads at once 
turned their fire upon his daring figure, one ball taking effect in 
Martin's horse. Nothing disconcerted, Martin galloped back, and 
in a short time brought the ambushing company with their cannon 
into action on the bank of the lake. The weeds being high in this 
bottom, Shackelford could not see them until he charged up to 
within about fifty yards, and did not even know that the artillery 
was in the neighborhojod, as was afterwards learned by the Con- 
federates who now opened fire. Upon the discharging of that 
cannon, loaded with cut bars of lead, the Yankees fell back in 



348 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

confusion. The gallant Shackelford was wounded in the foot and 
neither he nor his /officers could rally his fleeing men. 

Johnson and Martin had such a small force, and had heard from 
the citizens such exaggerated stories of the Federal numbers that 
they did not follow up this victory. They afterwards believed that 
had they pursued them closely they could have captured the entire 
demoralized command before they could have gotten on the steam- 
boat at Caseyville for safety. This memorable fight occurred upon 
the third or fourth of September, 1862. 

Colonel Johnson now went Sputh, leaving Martin in command. 
Martin met the other companies at the Holman farm on the sixteenth 
of September, and marched to the neighborhood of Slaughtersville, 
Kentucky; thence to Ashbysburg on the Green river, which he 
crossed on the eighteenth, and moved in the direction of Owensboro. 
They camped part of the night on Panther creek at Glen's bridge. 
Colonel Martin, Major Scoby and Captain Owen got lunch at 'Mrs. 
Oglesby's. As all of them were devoted Southerners, both she 
and her daughters treated them with the greatest kindness. The 
young ladies were then unmarried, but later became the wives of 
physicians who became very prominent in their profession. One 
of them was then a gallant Confederate soldier in the First Ken- 
tucky Cavalry. He was the late Dr. Soyars, of Slaughtersville, 
Kentucky, who died about nine years ago. The other was a noble 
citizen of the same town. 

- Colonel Martin now advanced upon the beautiful city of Owens- 
boro at daylight, Septem.ber 19, 1862, and found there Colonel 
^setter with about four hundred men and one piece of artillery. 
They were camped in the fair grounds below the town. The Con- 
federates captured a few soldiers who were found in the town, and 
so far as the city itself was concerned, they had it all their own 
way. Martin sent in a demand for the surrender of the camp to 
Colonel Netter, but was refused. Martin had previously sent the 
companies of Captain S. B. Taylor, J. S. Chapman, and Clay 
Merriwether below the camp, and thus had the enemy completely 
surrounded. Netter came out with a company to reconnoiter the 
force below his camp and see, it has been recently learned, if he 
could find any way to save his horses if he was compelled to sur- 
render. This Federal commander was killed in a skirmish with 
this force, but the Confederates did not know it until the next day. 
Martin decided that it was not best to attack the Federals in the 



^•.V OUTLINE HISTORY. 349 

position they held as they had already captured in the town what 
they most needed — ammunition. They quietly marched out and 
camped on the Southerland farm ten miles out on the Halford Road, 
with the intention of attacking a regiment that was being formed by 
Colonel Sha.nks, to be called the Twelfth Kentucky Cavalry. It 
was heard next morning that the Indiana Legion had come across 
the river to Owensboro and would give the Confederates battle if 
they would wait for them. The next morning the Twelfth Ken- 
tucky charged the Confedenate forces in great style, but upon being 
repulsed they retreated and appeared no more upon the scene. 

Martin requested Owen to accompany him upon a reconnoisance 
of the Indiana forces. Riding through the woods parallel to the 
road, they came within sight of their infantry and artillery a 
quarter of a mile beyond Panther creek upon the Owensboro Road. 
Both of these Confederate oftlcers could not resist taking a pop at 
the nearest of the enemy, then galloped back to their camp, and 
much to their surprise their fire not being returned. Martin at 
once marched his regiment down to a level meadow, relinquishing 
the strong position they were occupying on the hill and ridge near 
the Southerland residence. He formed his men about eighty yards 
from a heavy stake and rider fence running parallel to the big road 
and within a few feet of same, and there awaited an attack. There 
was a ditch between the fence and the road which Martin had 
failed to discover until too late to remedy the mistake, as the 
Yankees had crawled up that ditch and put the muzzle of their guns 
through the fence just above the bottom of the ground rails. Thus 
entirely shielded, they poured a murderous fire into the Confederate 
forces, killing a number of splendid men, among them James Keach, 
orderly sergeant of Captain Fisher's Company B; George Berry, 
of Company F; Richard Dunville, orderly sergeant of Company A, 
as well as many others, numbering thirty-six in all, killed and 
Avounded. The Federals being much greater in numbers and shielded 
by their strong breastworks, the Confederates were compelled to 
withdraw after standing their ground bravely for some time. Thi'y 
were not followed more than a half a mile, then recrossing the 
river at Ashby's ferry, they camped for the remainder of the night 
on the opposite bank. The next morning they were confronted 
by two Federal battalions with two brass six-pounder cannon. The 
wearers of the gray took refuge in an earthen fort made by Colonel 
Shackelford in 1861, and as it was upon a high hill overlooking the 



350 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

river and town, they repelled the charge of the enci:;7, thicii shpped 
out at the rear of the fort and marched down the river and flanked 
the Union forces. Company A of the Confederate force had a 
small skirmish with one of the scouting parties, and the Federals, 
fearing that a trap had been laid for them, crossed the river and 
went 'into camp on the other side. Later they recrossed the river 
at Clarksville and returned to Henderson. 

The next morning the Confederates sent their cannon to a place 
of safety, concealing it in a thicket near Mr. W. H. Jackson's, this 
gentleman being familiarly known as Uncle Hal. A few days later 
the Confederates learned that one of Uncle Hal's negroes had seen 
their hidden treasure, and fearing. that he would tell the Yankees 
of its whereabouts William Wilkerson, James Waller, Thomas 
Washington and others covered it with a wagon sheet and hauled 
it through the fields to the very head of the east fork of Deer creek, 
where it remained abiout a year, when the Yankees captured Wilker- 
son and scared him into telling where it was. The Federals then 
unearthed it ,and carried it to Owensboro, where it was 
used for a morning and evening gun as long as the Thirty-fifth 
Regiment remained there. Upon the anniversary of the death of 
Colonel Netter this gun was said to have been fired a hundred times 
on the bank of the river until it exploded and badly crippled the 
gunner, Kelley Shelton, lof Pratt, Kentucky, who is yet living, minus 
his right arm. 

In a few days these Confederates were disbanded again with 
instructions to prepare heavy clothing and make ready for a winter 
campaign. In October three hundred and fifty of them were 
marched South to Camp Winnow, Tennessee, where they met 
Colonel Johnson, who had been to Richmond, Virginia. They 
soon joined John H. Morgan's command and went into Kentucky 
with him on what is generally called the " Christmas raid." 

A running record has now been made of all the engagements of 
Colonel Johson's regiment up to the time they joined the main army. 

After the capture of Clarksville, Johnson sent Captain Fowler 
and his regiment back to Madisonville, where Dimmitfs company 
(afterwards Captain John Hamby's) was recruiting. Receiving 
a dispatch that a Federal force would leave Henderson for Madison- 
ville, Colonel Johnson sent warning to Fowler and Dimmit, who 
united their forces and warmed the blue coats well. This little 
band met the enemy at William Wilson's farm, a mile north of 



AN OUTLINE HISTORY. 351 

the court house of Madlsonville. There were after this skirmishes 
between the men who remained in Kentucky and the Yankees. 
Upon one occasion George Thomas, of Company A, who had first 
served out twelve months' enlistment in the First Kentucky Cavalry 
of the Confederate army, and Joseph Hrowder, who had been on 
a scout, were leaving Slaughtersville when they overtook Miss 
Annie Ogden and Miss Ellen Jenkins, who were riding slowly along 
on horseback. Thomas rode with the first and Browder with the 
second young lady, and they had not gone very far when they 
met Major Platter of the Federal amy, and another soldier in citizen's 
garb. These two rode with the little party until near the Platter 
place, when Major Platter drew his concealed weapon and suddenly 
fired across Miss Ogden's lap at Thomas. The ball missed its mark, 
and the lother, fired at Bowden, also flew wide. Major Platter 
wildly fled, closely pursued by the brave Bowden who shot him in 
the top of the head, which wound finally caused his death. Thomas 
is a successful farmer, yet living near Morgantown, Butler county, 
Kentucky. 

Another skirmish occurred just after the nocturnal fight at Hen- 
derson on the seventh of June, I862. Johnson had gone to Union 
county and Martin and Owen heard that there had been a large 
lot of government supplies put oflf the boat at Ashbyburg, Ken- 
tucky, and a lieutenant and twenty men left to guard it. As there 
were no other Yankees on Kentucky soil nearer than Louisville 
that they knew of, Martin decided that it would gladden Johnson's 
heart for him and Owen to slip down there and capture the twenty- 
one soldiers and the goods in their custody. They advanced but a 
short distance when they met t!ie Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry, who 
had gone to chase them and captured Owen's gray Indian pony 
which was so slow that he had to abandon him and trust to his heels 
through the woods, while Martin, being better mounted, escaped 
after firing both barrels of his trusty shotgun at them. Owen fired 
but one barrel at the start, and it was lucky for him that this was 
so, as it saved his life shortly afterwards, when an orderly sergeant' 
ran up to him with a huge saber, not knowing of his reserved shot, 
and crying: " O, blast your little soul, I got you now!" Ov/en 
discharged his other load at him, but he jerked his horse up so 
that but one shot struck him in the left arm. This he told Owen 
when they met later, when Owen was a prisoner and he a com- 
missioned officer who called the roll on Johnson's Island for a 



352 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

\ 



time in 1864. Once these two men of opposite armies were telling 
yarns, when this Federal officer boasted of his splitting a Confed- 
erate's head open near a brick church in the neighborhood of 
Slaughtersville. Owen then related his side of the story so circum- 
stantially that the other was compelled to admit his falsehood and 
to bear much guying for wagging his boastful tongue. 

There was another little fight June 22, 1863, in which Colonel 
William Mollis, who was raising a regiment, the Eleventh Kentucky, 
for General Johnson's command, was killed as well as some six 
or eight wounded. 



THE FLAG O^ THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Letter Fnom the Lady Who Presented It. 

Mrs. J. J. Massie (formerly Miss Tennie Moore), of Fort 
Worth, Texas, has been so kind as recently to write the following 
letter: 

In visiting my old home last summer after an absence of sixteen 
years, I learned the sad fact that out of the number that stood with 
me on the upper veranda upon that memorable morning when I 
presented that beautiful Confederate flag to your command, I 
alone am left. All the rest have passed over the river and are 
resting in the shade of the trees. 1 was so young at the time, and 
so many years, freighted with the sorrow, cares and responsibilities 
of life, have intervened, I find some difficulty in recalling with 
accuracy all the incidents of that day and the enthusiastic welcome 
we gave you as our deliverer from the Yankees. A much loved 
uncle of mine, who watched with pride and pleasure my warm 
and zealous espousal of the cause of our beloved Coufederacy 
and remembered how untiringly he had seen me day after day go 
to the sewing-room, where we were busy making the uniforms of 
our brave soldiers, who, at the first call went forth to battle for 
their dear country; and how, at our private expense, my mother, 
sister, and myself, with some assistance from him, made over one 
hundred soldier caps and gave them to -our brave boys in gray, 
having for a model a cap of a cousin who was being educated at 
a military institution, and who hurried home as soon as Ten- 
nessee seceded, to fight her battles, this uncle wishing to reward my 
fidelity and devotion, bought rich and handsome material for a 
large and magnificent Confederate banner and gave it to me on 
the condition that I wiould present it to the Forty-ninth Tennessee 



354 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

infantry, in which he had enlisted and which was then under 
General Buckner, at Fort Donelson. We made the flag, a boat 
was chartered, a brass band was engaged, and a day appointed for 
its presentation. The battle ensued, Fort Donelson fell, and in 
his hurried retreat South, he sent me a message to present it to the 
first Confederate regiment that captured Clarksville. Never will 
1 forget the happy day when Colonel 'Johnson, stationing his 
troops on the outskirts of the town at the college which was then 
the headquarters of the Federals, came in alone at a very early 
hour in the morning, proceeded to the headquarters of Colonel 
Masion, and demanded the unconditional surrender of Clarksville. 

Colonel Mason, astonished and bewildered at the daring bravery of 
this noble Confederate olficer, sprang from his bed, hastily drev/ 
on a few articles of clothing, thrust his feet into a pair of slippers, 
and entered his room at headquarters, followed by Johnson, to 
whom the guard on the outside seemingly paid no attention. Mason 
asked Johnson how much artillery and how many troops he had 
in his command. " Enough to use you up, and I am going to 
give you only a few moments in which to decide," Colonel John- 
son replied. 

A fiery-headed captain, with a volley of oaths, was the only one 
who protested against capitulation. He was for a fight, when 
Colonel Johnson bade him be quiet — said that his soldiers were 
only waiting for a signal to make the attack. Mason sent out a 
squad to investigate, and Colonel Martin so adroitly maneuvered 
his troops as to cause them to be counted twice. The Confed- 
erates had only one piece of artillery which had been taken from 
the Federals a short time before. Mason made an unconditional 
surrender. 

Not long subsequently he was relieved of his command for not 
resisting the small force of Confederates sent against him. 

Vvhen the glad news reached my home, I hastily sent a mes- 
senger to Colonel . Johnson, telling him of my great desire to 
present to him an expensive and beautiful flag as a tribute to his 
daring bravery and an expression of our gratitude to the gallant 
soldiers of his command. Accordingly, at eleven o'clock his whole 
force marched up in regular file and took position in front of our 
home. There in that upper porch, was Mrs. Tompkins at my 
right, who was one of the grandest old mothers of the Confederacy, 
and whose zeal and energy and deeds of heroism and self-sacrifice 



THE FLAG OF THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 355 

will be cherished as long* as a member of the Fourteenth Ten- 
nessee survives, while on my left stood my devoted old colored 
nurse — my black mammy of blessed memory— and to whose 
faithful charge 1 had entrusted the care of the flag. In com- 
mencing my address, when 1 said, " I bring this flag from its long 
hiding-place, a faithful negro's cabin," she proudly laid her hand 
on her heart, and making a profound bow to the command, said, 
"That's me!" 

This proud, laconic speech elicited a round of applause from 
the boys. And when I lowered tlie flag into the keeping of Col- 
onel Johnson, three rousing cheers went up for Miss Tennie Moore, 
and made the welkin ring, while tlie air was full of caps tossed 
upward with the hearty prayer, '' God bless her, we are wearing 
her caps now.'' 

Th^at day was one of the happiest of my girlhood. 

Before closing this sketch 1 wish to pay a little tribute to dear 
Mrs. Tompkins, a woman of wonderful decision of character and 
executive ability, and to whose loyal devotion and patriotic zeal 
the Fourteenth Tennessee was greatly indebted for their splendid 
equipment for their long march to the front. It was just as 
fine as tender hands and loving hearts could make it. Mrs. 
Tompkins opened a sewing-room over a large store, and we eagerly 
rushed with our thimbles and needles to her assistance in fashion- 
ing the garments in which our brothers, fathers, sweethearts, and 
friends were to march to glory, and alas, in so many sad instances — 
the grave. 

She cut out hundreds of garments with her own hands and 
personally directed the putting together and sewing the pieces. 
Sometimes we were praised and encouraged, and then scolded for 
our want of common sense. But upon one notable occasion the 
climax of her indignation was reached when a young lady who 
so patiently tried to miake a pair of pantaloons for her boy-lover, 
and brought them for her inspection, and she discovered, to her 
dismay, that she had put the pockets in the seat of the breeches 
instead of the places she had so carefully marked for her guidance. 

Many a poor fellow died blessing Mrs. Tompkins for her kindly 
ministrations to the sick and dying, who had been brought up to 
Clarksville from the Fort Donelson battlefield. 

I feel in this day when the loving devotion of the colored race 
to the master and mistress of the household is passing forever 



356 THE P ART I S AN RANGERS. 

into oblivion a desire to speak of my own black mammy already 
alluded to. Into her keeping we gave all our ready money and 
jewelry, fearing they might fall into the hands of the Yankees. As 
soon as the Federals took possession of our city, a treacherous 
negro boy belonging to a neighbor, informed them that we had 
a large Confederate flag concealed in our home, and our house 
was repeatedly searched and twice set on fire with the sworn 
declaration that they were going to burn up the rebels, and we 
were subjected to many other indignities as unwarranted as galling. 

I remember for four months we children didn't step out on 
the porch. The houses on each side of the street as far as we could 
see were occupied by Federal troops, inmates having fled South for 
protection within the Confederate lines. General Grant's head- 
quarters for a short time were in the handsome house of a banker 
a few doors above us. 

This faithful slave had taken the flag and after carefully wrap- 
ping it in cloth and papers, she had placed it at the very bottom of 
her chest, throwing on top of it a bundle of carpet rags. A 
tidy negro, she always kept her cabin neat and homelike. One 
day a searching party entered her door, demanded her keys, and 
proceeded to toss the contents of her drawers and wardrobe upon 
the floor. When they unlocked her chest she exclaimed, " The 
Lord knows I thought you all were the nigger's friend, sent here 
to give us our rights and our freedom, and that we could look to 
you for protection. You ain't our friends at all. Just look how 
you have gone and mussed up my nice, clean cabin. I'd like to 
know what a poor nigger like me has got that you can want. 
For goodness sake, don't tangle up my carpet rags." The lieu- 
tenant in charge of the searching party said, " Come along, boys, 
and let the old nigger's rags alone." 

But right underneath these rags lay the large flag, five by seven 
feet, our one hundred dollar treasured ensign for which they had 
been so diligently searching. 

One dark, rainy, dismal night, while the city was full of Yankees, 
my cousin, a captain in the Confederate army, hearing of the 
illness of his mother who was a member of our family, made 
his way across the river and through familiar by-ways and stealthily 
tapped at our rear door. My mother stealthily opened the 
door and discovering who it was, let him in quickly. A Federal 
soldier was pacing his beat in front of the house. Our cousin 



THE FLAG OF THE PARTISAN RANGERS, 357 

was cold and hungry, weary and footsore. I went in the darkness 
and roused mammy and she cheerfully came and soon had prepared 
him a warm tempting supper and food to last him several days. 
Before day dawned our kinsman had crossed the river and was 
on his way back to the Confederate camp. Even after the war 
she never left us, notwithstanding the fact that her husband, a 
smart, likely negro, wanted her to go back with him to his old 
home in Richmond, Virginia. She declared that she would 
never leave us as long as she lived, my mother, and her children. 

It was my pleasure and privilege to watch lOver her during a 
long illness, for she died of dropsy and could not lie down. My 
brother furnished her with the cosiest of chairs and the downiest 
of pillows, and I carried her meals to her, and would allow nO 
one else to administer her medicines. When she was dying she 
gave me her little girl, my name sake. Our grief at her deatE 
was sincere and deep, and when I reach the other shore I know 
she will be there to welcome me, for the promise is, " Be thou 
faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life." Though 
her skin was black her soul was white. 

Very truly yours, 

MRS. J. J. MASSIE, 

Fort Worth, Texas. 



MORGAN AND HIS MEN. 

BY GENERAL BASIL W. DUKE. 

In October, 1861, Morgan organized a "squadron" as it was 
termed, of three companies of Kentucky cavalry, the nucleus of 
that formidable and renowned division which he subsequently 
commanded. This squadron was constantly and actively engaged 
in picketing and scouting in the front of General Albert Sidney 
Johnston's army while it lay at Bowling Green, and was scarcely 
ever out of sight or hearing of the Federal host, which, under Gen- 
eral Buell, confronted that army. It witnessed the Confederate rear 
guard leave Nashville when General Johnston evacuated the city, 
and fired on Buell's advance when the Federal army entered. It re- 
mained in the immediate vicinity of Nashville for several weeks after 
the Confederate army had crossed the Tennessee river in daily and 
nightly combat with the Federal outposts, and quitted that region, 
only to take part in the battle of Shiloh. 

The history of Morgan's squadron closed with its active and 
audacious campaign of six weeks in Middle Tennessee, where it 
was ordered immediately after the battle. During this period 
Morgan won his first considerable success and also sustained his first 
disaster. He attacked the enemy, of twice his own streng-th, at 
Pulaski, completely defeating him and taking over three hundred 
prisoners. But a few days after he was himself attacked by General 
Dumont's cavalry brigade at Lebanon, and his command, about 
three hundred strong, after a desperate fight, was almost cut ta 
pieces. 

In June, 1861, Morgan began the organization of his regiment, 
the Second Kentucky Cavalry, at Chattanooga. It was composed 
of the remnant of the "squadron," some three hundred men of 



MORGAN AND HIS MEN. 359 

the First Kentucky Infantry, C. S. A., who, having served out 
their term of enlistment of one year in Virginia, elected to re- 
enliit in cavalry service; one company of Mississippians which had 
served a similar term in infantry, and recent recruits from Ken- 
tucky; in all about four hundred strong. 

With this partially com.pleted regiment, a battalion of Georgia 
partisan cavalry and two Companies which had just arrived from 
Texas to join him under Captain (afterward General) R. M. 
Gano, Morgan started from Knoxville on the Fourth of July, 
1862, on what is known as his "first" Kentucky raid. His 
command numbered about nine hundred men. The raid 
was efficiently conducted and full of adventure, and the results are 
best told in his own brief report of it: 

" I left Knoxville on the fourth day of this month with about 
nine hundred men and returned to Livingston on the twenty- 
eighth inst. with nearly one thousand two hundred, having been 
absent just twenty-four days, durng which time I have traveled over 
one thousand miles, captured seventeen towns, destroyed all the 
government supplies and arms in them, dispersed about one 
thousand five hundred home guards and paroled nearly one thou- 
sand two hundred regular troops. I lost in killed, wounded and 
missing of the number I carried into Kentucky about ninety." 

With the recruits obtained in Kentucky and those which soon 
after came out to join him, Morgan in a very short time, raised 
his regiment to the maximum. During the remainder of the 
summer of 1862, he was employed on the north bank of the 
Cumberland, as was Forrest on the south, in harassing Buell's 
army, which was stationed at and around Nashville, and perhaps 
no cavalry leaders ever did more effective service than did these 
two in that brief period. 

Morgan accompanied Kirby Smith in Bragg's invasion of Ken- 
tucky, was actively engaged during the Confederate occupation of 
the State, and aided in covering the retreat of the army. 

Rapidly growing into a brigade, and then into a division, Morgan's 
command continued on a large scale the peculiar service it had per- 
formed so efficiently with less strength. The two most notable 
exploits if its commander until he undertook the famous raid 
through Ohio and Indiana, were the battle of Hartsville and the 
^' December raid " into Kentucky. 

At Hartsville, after a long and rapid march, crossing the Cum- 



360 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

berland river in bitter cold weatlier, he attacked two thousand 
five hundred Federal infantry in a strong position, his own force 
numbering only twelve hundred and fifty; killed and wounded 
two hundred and sixty-two of the enemy and carried off eighteen 
hundred and thirty-four prisoners, although he was himself assailed 
in turn by several thousand additional troops. 

He made the "December" raid with nearly three thousand 
seven hundred men, captured a great number of prisoners and 
destroyed completely nearly fifty miles of the Louisville and Nash- 
ville railroad, the main line of communication by which the Federal 
army in Tennessee received its supplies and reinforcements. 

But the most remarkable expedition ever undertaken by him 
was the " Indiana and Ohio raid." It was not merely sensa- 
tional, but it was well conceived and most ably conducted. Had 
he returned with his command from that raid to the Confederate 
lines, he would have been beyond question foremost in reputation 
of the cavalry leaders of the Civil War. 

At the time it was undertaken General Bragg was menaced by 
vastly superior forces. His retreat from Middle Tennessee and 
across the Tennessee river had become a necessity. But to safely 
accomplish it, and to fight with any hope of success after cnossing 
the Tennessee, it was also necessary that the attention of the hos- 
tile forces should in some manner be diverted from his movement 
and that a part of the Federal troops which might otherwise 
participate in the battle to be fought south of the river, should 
be attracted to some other quarter. 

General Bragg could do this only by a judicious use of his 
cavalry. He therefore directed Morgan to make a raid into 
Kentucky with two or three thousand men, and if possible, hold 
there all of the cavalry and a large part of the infantry which were 
about to move against him. Morgan advised that he could not 
with so small a force adequately do such work. He suggested 
that he could, if permitted to cross the Ohio river and enter Ohio 
and Indiana, create such consternation in those two States that 
the Federal Government in response to the popular demand for 
protection would be compelled to withdraw troops from the army 
of the Cumberland and thus weaken the demonstration about to 
be made against Bragg. 

Morgan finally proceeded on that plan. He rapidly traversed 
Kentucky, crossed the Ohio river thirty miles below Louisville, 



MORGAN AND HIS MEN. 361 

and invaded the North with about two thousand veteran cavalry. 
The picturesque features of that great raid are famihar to all who 
have read much about the Civil War. The long, swift marches 
b}^ night as well as by day, with scarcely a halt; the dismay of 
the communities through which the grim column passed, bringing 
in its turn "something of the agony and terror of invasion;" the 
swarming hordes of militia striving to hinder the progress of the 
gray-coated riders, and finally the onslaught of the trained and 
veteran troops, whom it was the purpose of the raid to summon. 
The nerve displayed in passing the big river and penetrating to 
such a distance into hostile territory has also been generally rec- 
ognized. But few people realize how skillfully the expedition was 
managed, and the stategic shrewdness employed to avoid or 
overcome the numerous perils to be encountered ; nor to what extent 
the main object, the luring away the troops which might have 
impeded Bragg's retreat or overwhelmed him at Chickamauga, was 
accomplished. The safe extrication of the command was pre- 
vented only by a matter which no intelligence could have foreseen 
or provided against. Morgan reached Butfmgton Island, the point 
on the upper Ohio contemplated in his original plan as the one 
where he could recross the river, and found the stream, usually 
fordable at that season, deep and impassable except by boats. The 
" June rise " almost invariably followed by very low water, came 
that year in July, and he reached the river when the flood was at 
its height. The greater part of his command was captured, but 
the chief object, indeed, the sole object of the raid, was perfectly 
accomplished. 

The division was never gotten together again, and althoug-h 
General Morgan, after his escape from prison, did excellent work, 
displaying in full measure the enterprise and quick intelligence 
which so characterized him, his early good fortune seemed to have 
deserted him. After his death the men who had followed him 
so faithfully still fought on bravely and stubbornly, but no other 
leader could arouse in them the same spirit. 

There can be no doubt as to Morgan's extraordinary capacity. 
As a commander of partisan cavalry he exhibited not only excep- 
tional audacity but a resourceful genius which could meet every 
contingency. Notwithstanding the great disaster of the Ohio 
raid, that he was some months a prisoner, and that he was killed 
a year before the close of the war, he accomplished results almost 



362 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

unequaled. " The creator and organizer of his own little army, 
with a force which at no time reached four thousand, he killed 
and wounded nearly as many of the enemy and captured more 
than fifteen thousand.'' 

He was more remarkable, however, in the influence he exerted 
over his followers than in aught else. It was almost limitless. 
No other Confederate officer was so completely identified with his 
command, and no other body of men regarded themselves as so 
completely belonging to their commander. They accepted the 
appellation of " Morgan's men " in its literal sense. 






'^<^, 




M^A 



CAPTAIN L. D. HOCKERSMITH, 
3d Capt. Co. C, lOthKy., P. R. 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE FROM IMPRISONMENT. 

By Captain L. D. Hockersmith. 

Colonels R. Morgan's and W. W. Ward's regiments were cap- 
tured July 19th, 1863, at Buffington's Island, Ohio. Colonels B. 
W. Duke's and D. H. Smith's commands were captured July 20; 
Lieutenant Colonel Coleman and command were captured July 
20, at Cheshire, Ohio, General Morgan and the remainder of his 
command captured July 26, and taken at once to the Ohio State 
prison, as I was informed, while we, the first that were captured, 
were carried to Cincinnati, confined in the city lockup about forty- 
eight hours; taken from there to Johnson's Island, where we 
remained four days, and then were removed to the State pen- 
itentiary at Columbus, Ohio. The following is the plan of the 
cells in the prison and the disposition of the prisoners: 

EXPLANATION. 

1. — Entrance to hall in front of cells. 

2. — Outside wall of main building. 

3. — Hall in front of cells. 

4. — South side of cells in first range and east wing of prison. 

5. — Stove flue. 

6. — Ventilation in flue. 

7. — Sentinels. 

8.— Stove. 

Partition wall between convicts and prisoners of war. 



364 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



CELL TLAN OF PRISON. 



9 


Magee 


35 






34 






33 






32 


4 




31 








30 






Bennett 


29 






Hockersmith 


28 






27 




9 


26 






25 






24 


<t 




23 






22 






Col. R. Morgan 


21 






Hines 


20 






19 






Sheldon 


18 




9 




17 






16 






S. Taylor 


15 






., 


4 




13 






32 






11 






10 






9 




1 8 




9 


7 


4 




6 






5 






4 




1 


8 




[ 


2 




9 1 


1 


7 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 365 

^ These cells were three feet six inches wide, about seven feet 
long and about seven feet high, with a heavy iron grate door to 
each, with spring locks and were in tiers or ranges. The diagram 
shows range No. 1, while range No. 2 was immediately above. 
On the left were the cells in which the convicts were confined. 
The floors were arched with three arches of brick, while the top 
was made of sand cement called concrete, making the floor about 
two and one-half feet thick. In addition to this there was in 
each cell a broad plank in front of the bed fifteen inches wide and 
five feet long. This plank was to keep the feet off the damp 
concrete floor. The bedstead was a small skeleton, hung to the 
partition wall by small iron hinges, so that it could be turned 
back against the wall to allow the prisoner room for a small 
promenade; there was also a small three-legged stool to each cell, 
and a strip of plank one inch thick, three inches wide and three 
feet long which was used as a prop to the bed. This completed 
the furniture. 

The following was the disposition of the prisoners in the cells, 
with the number and range. 

PRISONERS ow FIRST RANGE. Capt. G. C. Mullins, 23. 

Name of Prisoner. No. of Cell. Capt- J. L. N Dickens, 24. 

Col. W. W. Ward, 1. Capt. M. S. Edwards, 25. 

Capt. P.. H. Thorpe, 2. ^apt. M. Griffin, * 26. 

Capt J L Jones 3 Capt. L. D. Holloway, 27. 

Capt. Thos. W. Bullit, 4. ^apt L. D. Hockersmith, 28. 

Capt. A. Thomas, 5. ^apt. J. C. Bennett, 29. 

Lt. Col. J. T. Tucker, 7. Maj. J. B. McCreary 30. 

Capt. E T. Rochester, 8. Col. D. Howard Smith, 31. 

Capt. Thos. H. Shanks, 9. Capt. James N. Taylor, 32. 

Capt. R. E Roberts, 10. ^^'P ' ^- S; Barton. 32. 

Capt. L. W. Trafton, 14. ^'P " "• 5" ^"'!' l]' 

Capt. Sam B. Taylor, 15. Cap • J. B. Hunter, 34. 

Capt. R. D. Logan, 16. Capt. J. 8. Magee, 35. 

Lieut. Tom Moreland, 17. 

Capt. R. Sheldon, 18. 

Capt. E. W. McLean, 19. Name of Prisoner. No. of Cell. 

Capt. Thos.Henry Hines, 20. Col. R. S. Cluke, 1. 

Col. R. C. Morgan, 21. Capt. T. M. Coombs, 2. 

T. E. Earton, Lt. Master, 22. Capt. J. H. Hamby, 3. 



SECOND RANGE. 



Capt. C. C. Morgan, 


4. 


Capt. E. F. Cheatham, 


5. 


Maj. H. A. Higby, 


6. 


Capt. Hall Gibson, 


7. 


Major W. G. Owen,, 


8. 


Capt. D. R. Williams, 


9. 


Capt. E. D. Warder, 


10. 


Capt. S. Morgan, 


11. 


Lieut. J. H. Croxton 


12. 


Capt. Buford A. Lacy, 


13. 


Capt. T. R. Boyd, 


14. 


Wash. C. Shame, 




Aid-de-Camp, 


16. 


Capt. E. S. Dawson, 


17. 


Capt. J. S. Ambrose, 


18. 


Lt. Col. C. Coleman, 


20. 



366 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS. 



C'p. W. R. Cunningham, 21. 

Capt. Isaac Baker, 22. 

Capt. G. M. Coleman, 24. 

Capt. C. L. Bennett, 25. 

Major R. S. Bullock, 26. 

Gen. Basil W. Duke, 27. 

Capt. A. S. Brunner, 28. 

Capt. J. S. Chapman, 29. 

Capt. Jas. W. Mitchell, 29. 

Capt. M. D. Logan, 30. 

Capt. C. H. Morgan, 31. 

Maj. W. G. Bullitt, 32. 

Lieut. Jos. B. Cole, 33. 

Maj. W. P. Elliott, 34. 

Gen. John H. Morgan, 35. 



OHIO TENITENTIARY. 

Major Theoph. Steele in hospital. 

Captain C. C. Campbell sick in hospital. 

Captain John H. Woolf sick in hospital. 

The main outside wall which inclosed this hall as well as the 
cells, was some taller than the cell building. The cells are five 
tiers or ranges high. The floor of this hall was stone and laid 
in solid earth with no ventilation under it. This outside wall 
had no connection with the cell walls whatever, with the exception 
of the ground floor. I have been thus particular in giving the 
names of parties, with their cells and locations, as I shall frequently 
in after qommunications have need to refer to many of them. 
We wish the reader to study well the various positions laid down 
in this article, with the names of the parties connected therewith. 
hi my next I shall commence with the plans suggested and adopted 
for our escape. 

LAYING PLANS. 

In the last chapter, in describing the cell floors, I omitted to 
explain a fill of eight or ten inches, made of spalls of rock, from 
the size of a grain of sand up to six inches or more in size. These 
spalls are pieces or chips which fly from rock or brick in dressing 
them when getting them ready for use. The object of this filling 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 367 

was to give a level base for the six inches of concrete which formed 
the floor of the cells. 

The entire building was covered with a metal roof, through 
Avhich there are several skylights. About the middle of the outer 
main wall there was a down "pipe or tin spout to convey the water 
from the roof to the ground,, and which was fastened to the wall 

v.-ii;h iron cleats. Mr Scott, who was one of the wardens 

of the penitentiary, one day gave us the history of two convicts 
who had managed to make their escape by going through one of 
the skylights on the roof, and then by climbing down this pipe 
or spout to the ground. The relation of this wonderful escape 
1 honestly believe led to ours. 

Up to this time 1 had scarcely entertained an idea or thought 
that there was any chance for us to get out of the prison, except 
by being turned out through the door by which we had come in. 
But Scott's story set me to thinking that I could at least manage 
some means to regain my liberty. The architect, in laying out 
his designs for the erection of this prison in the Buckeye State, 
intended no doubt to build a house from which no man should 
ever be able to escape. 

But he failed, as all others had done before. It is said that man 
can not build what man can not pull down or destroy. Yet 
when one passes through one of these immense iron-grated doors 
as a prisoner, and the turnkey, with his lever, throws one of those, 
one by three inch bolts into its socket, he leaves all hope behind. 

JAKE BENNETT. 

When Captain Jake Bennett was taken to his cell the guard gave 
him a shove as he ushered him in and said : "Go in there, you 
damned Reb, and let's see if you can get out of there." The 
Captain cast his eyes to the ceiling and exclaimed: "No, my Godl 
I might as well try to get out of hell." 

Jake Bennett was captain of Company A, Tenth Kentucky 
Cavalry, and from some cause had been sent to Camp Chase, where 
the privates of Morgan's command were confined. While there he 
attempted to make his escape, but failed and was sent to Columbus 
for safe keeping. When I heard Captain Bennett make his remark 
about the infernal regions I at that time thought that he was correct. 
It was after this that I conceived the idea of regaining my liberty. 



368 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

STUDYING ABOUT ESCAPE. 

On the 27th of October, 1863, 1 began looking around to see 
how and where there might be a possibility of getting away from 
under the surveillance of those Yankees who were watching us so 
closely. While walking through the hall-way I was impressed with 
the idea that I could crawl through the stove flue and thus get out 
on top of the prison. I soon caught an opportunity tO' examine the 
ventilator in the flue, which was located near the floor. I believed 
that there could be but one thing in the way to prevent a success, 
and that was the guards who were stationed so near the outlet. It 
seemed at first that it would be a difficult matter to get the ventilator 
from the place assigned to it by the architect. However, I ventured 
near enough that day to see that it could be removed without dis- 
turbing the wall. I did nothing more then, as it was getting late 
in the evening and not being long until our supper would be ready. 

SHAM READING. 

That night while in bed I thought the matter over again and again, 
and the next morning at nine o'clock, the 28th, 1 was at my post 
with Testament in hand, seated on the stone floor leaning against the 
wall, near enough to the ventilator to touch it with my right hand, 
and more eager, if possible, than the day before to accomplish my 
purposes. You may rest assured that my mind was more upon the 
undertaking than it was upon the Testament I was reading. Four 
o'clock in the afternoon dame and found me no nearer out than 
when I first began. Again I was locked in my cell for the night to 
dream of liberty. At six o'clock the next morning we were all 
turned out of our cells to prepare for breakfast, and, as the usual 
custom, marched in single file to the well or hydrant, where there 
was a large trough filled with water, where we performed our morn- 
ing ablutions and then ate our morning meal. 

THAT VENTILATOR. 

At ten o'clock my opportunities were better than ever before. 
The guards seemed to be more careless than usual. I succeeded in 
getting the ventilator loose, and fully intended some time during the 
day to take my departure from the hall, through the stove flue 
to the top of house, and about dusk to go down the pipe and 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 369 

forever shake the dust of Columbus from my feet. While I was 
rejoicing in my own mind at the thought of my early deliverance, 
Captain Sam Taylor, who had been watching my maneuvers, sus- 
pected me, approached me and in an undertone, to my surprise, 
said: "What in the hell have you been sitting at that hole all 
day for?" meaning the ventilator in the flue. I replied: "None 
of your business," all in good humor, of course; for we were the 
very best of friends. 

CAPTAIN SAM TAYLOR. 

We immediately walked to the rear of the hall. The captain 
took me by the arm and walked with me as far as cell No. 35. 
We then turned around and returned to cell No. 28, which) wa 
entered and sat down upon my bed. Captain Taylor had all the 
time been trying to find out what I had been planning. At first I 
gave him no satisfaction. He then appealed to me to tell him the 
truth, and asked me if I had not been planning an escape through 
that stove flue. I answered him that I was not only planning, but 
that I intended to make my exit through that same place, and 
requested him to keep silent upon the subject. 

VENTILATOR PLANS ABANDONED. 

He insisted that I could not succeed, and gave several reasons 
for his belief. I did not agree with him, and gave him to under- 
stand that 1 could not afford to abandon my plans unless something 
better was offered. He then suggested that as I was a mechanic 
and brick mason that I could perhaps cut through these walls. That 
idea had never before presented itself to my mind; I had almost 
forgotten that I ever knew how to handle the trowel or to lay 
brick, but the idea was a good one and I liked it. Several sug- 
gestions were made and abandoned, as to how we should proceed. 
We then separated. By this time I had about abandoned the plan 
of going out through the flue. 

LAYING PLANS. 

On October 30th, at eight o'clock a. m., Captain Taylor and 
myself got together in his cell, No. 15, and renewed the conversa- 
tion of the evening before. We laid many plans and made many 
suggestions, none of which seemed to be feasible. I then proposed 



370 THE PART I SAX RAXGERS. 

that we go through at the floor and cut under the foundations^ 
My knowledge and experience taught me that there must be a 
ventilation under the cell floors, otherwise it would he so damp 
that men could not live in them. 

SOUNDS THE FLOOR. 

While thus reasoning, Taylor picked up the strip of plank used 
to prop up the bed and with the end knocked on the floor of the 
cell. It sounded hollow, and he then stepped out of the cell door 
and with the same plank knocked on the floor of the hall, which 
produced a dull, dead sound. We were then satisfied that my 
suggestion was correct — that the ventilation was beneath the cells, 

TLAX AGREED UPON. 

Then my plan to cut through the floor was at once agreed upon» 
We at that time knew nothing of the thickness of the floor, and 
there was no way of gaining the desired information but to go to 
work and cut through and find out. The diltlculty now was to 
secure tools with which to begin work, as we had nothing but 
pocket knives and spme other small tools, such as files and saws, 
which we were permitted to have to make rings and such like with. 

I proposed to do the work — the cutting of the cement — while 
Captain Taylor was to conceal the mortar or whatever rubbish 
might be taken out as the work progressed. His proposition was 
to take the rubbish out in his pockets, throw it in the stoves, in the 
spit-boxes, scatter it around in the saw-dust on the dining room 
floor or put it in any or all places \\'here it would not be discovered. 
Captain Taylor and myself by this time pretty well understood 
the task before us, and were selfish enough to undertake the job 
by ourselves, as up to this time \vd had taken no one into our 
confidence. 

We had, as we supposed, all our arrangements made, ready to 
begin work the next day. It \\"as understood that our work would 
have to be done by daylight, because we ^^■ere locked up in our 
cells during the night, and there could be no communication one 
with another between the hours of six p. m. and six a. m. 

On the morning of the 3 1st of October at eight o'clock Captain 
Taylor and myself were in my cell, No. 28, further discussing the 
subject which had been uppermost in our minds for some time, 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 371 

when the question arose as to whose cell we should begin the work 
in; not that we were particular as to the cell, but how should we 
get together after the work should be completed. We were 
separated at night, and we knew that the escape must be made in 
the dark. If we cut through the tloor in his cell I should be left; 
if in mine, then he would be left. 

CAPTAIN HINES COMES IN7 

While we were thus planning and talking Captain Thomas H. 
Mines walked up to the door of my cell and addressed himself to 
liS by saying: "Are you fellows plotting against the whites? " or 
words to that effect. Captain Taylor replied : " You are mighty 
damned right." It was not long until Captain Hines was let into 
the secret, Captain Taylor communicating the same to him. Captain 
Hines endorsed the plan with delight. We also informed him of 
the difficulty we had just been considering. He proposed that the 
Y/ork should be commenced in his cell, agreeing to take upon him- 
self the responsibility of detection. Then the question came up 
again in reference to getting to the cell when the work was done, 
when Captain Hines proposed to have the doors open at the 
proper time by sawing the bolts or eating them off with aquafortis. 
We accepted his proposition which was the condition. 

PROPOSITIONS. 

Captain Taylor and myself having heard Captain Hines' prop- 
positions, and accepting them, we told him that we had been 
considering a plan for getting General Morgan out with us. The 
difficulty that presented itself was to get him from his cell after 
the completion of the work, his cell being No. 35, second range, 
just above that of Captain McGee, No. 35, first range. Yet it 
was determined that we would take him with us if possible. We 
at length agreed to lay the matter before him and see what he 
thought of our plans. 

CALL ON GENERAL MORGAN. 

We three went to General Morgan, Captain Hines acting as 
spokesman, while Captain Taylor and myself listened and occas- 
ionally threw in a word. He heard us through, questioned us 
closely and was much surprised at the audacity of the undertaking. 



372 THE PARTIS AN RANGERS 

!. do not believe at the time that he had any great confidence in 
the success of the enterprise. We informed him that he was to 
have nothing to do with the work, but must keep himself in the 
background so as to keep down suspicion. We left the cell and 
it was proposed by Hines and Taylor to take Captains McGee and 
Sheldon into our confidence, while 1 selected Captain Jake Bennett. 
There being no objections to the three persons named, they were 
invited into Captain Hines' cell and informed of our plans, and 
all readily agreed to them. Captain Sheldon made some good 
suggestions as to how we should begin work, and how we should 
get the tools to begin with. I regard him as being one of the 
most determined men of the six. 

TLAXS FOR ESCAPE. 

Captain McGee was a mechanic, a carpenter by profession, and 
the right man in the right place; Captain Bennett expressed himself 
as being ready to do an3rthing that we might impose upon him. 
I being a brick-layer. Captain Taylor proposed that I should super- 
intend the work. Captain Hines was to act as guard or sentinel, 
while Captain Taylor should conceal the rubbish, which he had 
formerly agreed to do. Each man having been assigned to his 
work, we yet had some other things to look after. We were not 
well supplied with tools. We had but two pocket knives among 
us. Sheldon's proposition to get knives from the table of course 
was adopted, with the understanding that we were to take but one at 
a time, for fear they should be missed. 

CONFIDENCE GAME. 

The next thing was to manage to get the confidence of the 
guards so as to keep down any suspicion they might have of our 
intentions. It was the custom of the wardens to sweep and inspect 
the cells, or cause it to be done by the convicts, at least once every 
day. The hall was looked after twice each day. They were par- 
ticular in keeping a clean prison. We were not allowed to spit 
tobacco juice on the floor, neither were we allowed to throw apple 
or peach parings or seed, strips of paper or litter of any kind on the 
floor. So in order to prevent their sweeping our cells. Captain 
Hines proposed that we get brooms and do our own sweeping. 
We were allowed to furnish our cells with any kind of furniture 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 373 

or ornaments we chose to buy; and some of them were handsomely 
furnished, which helped to keep down or hide any suspicion that 
might arise from our proposed sweeping. 

We were also forbidden to make any unnecessary noise, such 
as singing, whistling, or reading aloud. Captain Bennett determined 
to overcome this difficulty by getting a few of the boys .together, 
joining our hands in a circle around the wardens or any guards 
that mig^ht be near, and singing such songs as "The Old Cow 
Crossed the Road," or " Grasshopper Sitting on a 'Tater Vine," 
etc. This seemed to take all right and met with no objections from 
the guards. We were also to make as much noise as possible while 
making breast-pins, rings, etc. V/ith our plans matured for the 
future, and in our imagination again breathing the air of liberty, 
we betook ourselves to different points of the prison, and in due 
course of time ate our supper and were locked up in our cells for 
the night, where we further planned for the future. 

WORK BEGINS. 

November 2d. We thought it better to keep separated this 
morning and not allow more than two together at any one time. 
We now had two of the table knives, secured, I think, by Bennett 
and McGee. We put the two edges together and by striking them 
with a poker managed to make saws of them, which were to be 
used in cutting the cement mortar. They were of soft iron, driven 
into a block of pine or poplar wood handle. Captain Hines swept 
his own cell that morning and so did one or two others, as we 
thO'Ught it best to do. At half past eleven o'clock we went to 
dinner, when 1 managed to procure another knife, making the third 
one now in our possession, besides the pocket knives, which we 
thought to be sufficient with which to commence work. 

Captain Sheldon and myself went to Captain Hines' cell Na 
20, and on that evening we made a beginning. My recollection 
is that we worked all that evening, but at night could scarcely tell 
what had been done. The cement or concrete proved to be harder 
than ordinary rock. Our knives were of soft metal and made but 
little impression on the floor, consequently Captain Taylor had not 
much more than his vest pocket full of rubbish to dispose of. Yet 
we felt that we had made an excellent beginning. Captain Hines 
was at his post all the while, keeping a sharp lookout lest some 
intruder should step in unawares. 



374 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

November 3d. Bennett and McGee went on duty, while Taylor, 
Sheldon and myself staid out in the hall, doing our best to enter- 
tain the guards and officers so as to keep them from cell No. 20. 
Strange to say, the guards knew every prisoner so perfectly that 
they would miss any of us if we were absent from the crowd more 
than an hour at a time. Therefore, at first we had to be released 
from work frequently, so that we could make our appearance in 
the hall where we could be seen by them. But not so towards the 
close, because we all seemed to be well contented and had given the 
wardens so little trouble, mixed with a good deal of "taffy," that 
they believed us to be resigned to our fate. All things considered, 
our day's work was very satisfactory. 

November 4th. The size of the hole which we cut in the 
cement I suppose was fourteen inches square, though 1 never 
measured it. We got through the cement that day. Ever3rthing 
passed off quietly with no changes made in our arrangements, 
except that Taylor proposed to carry the straw out of Hines* 
bed-tick, burn it in the stove, and fill the tick with the brick, mortar, 
stone, etc. We also concluded that one was enough to Wiork at 
a time, as more would be in the way and impede the progress, and 
that also one would not be as likely to arouse suspicion as would 
more. 

November 5th. We began work as usual. It was but a short 
time until we had reached the arch, but we still had no idea how 
far it was to the air chamber. We made no new discoveries until 
late in the afternoon, at which time I was at work, when my knife 
slipped through the joint of mortar between two arched brick. I 
knew then that it would be no difficult job to reach the air 
chamber. Now came the exciting time with me. 1 wanted the 
pleasure of getting under that floor first. I cut and sawed the 
mortar from between three of these brick as rapidly as possible, 
lifted them out and then took one of the loose ones and knocked 
several others through to the ground, by striking them on the end. 
I then had a hole large enough for a small man to go through. I 
ventured down into this hole. I think it was the darkest place I 
ever saw before; it was about four or four and a half feet to the 
ground. I could see nothing. I called to Captain Taylor, who 
was the only one who knew that I had gotten through, to bring me 
a candle. I lighted it and soon found out the full extent of the 
air chamber. At the west end it was about eighteen inches from 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE, 375 

the arch to the floor, while at the east end it was not less than 
twelve feet. 

There seemed to have been a room cut out of these for some 
purpose, but no door or entrance to it except a large air grate in 
the end wall. I could see no entrance to this chamber except the 
hole we had cut, and this air grate, the latter being stopped up with 
plank outside, which cut off all light. I had now seen all that 
there was to be seen underneath the floor, and thought it best to 
report the same to General Morgan and the boys. It is useless to 
try to describe my feelings while beneath the floor, as I thought 
of the near approach of our deliverance. I leave this to the 
imagination of the reader. I came out again into the light and 
started to General Morgan's cell. He was engaged in talking to 
some of his men in the hall, but left them and followed me and 
invited me to take a seat and said: *' Captain, what is the news? " 
I told him that I had been out reconnoitering. When he asked me 
vyhiat I meant by that I replied: "1 have been all under this 
building." He slapped me on the shoulder and said : " Captain, 
do you really mean it?'' After describing things the best I could 
I proposed that he walk down to cell No. 20, lift up the black 
carpet sack, which we kept over the hole, and see for himself. He 
did so and was satisfied with the result. The brick and mortar was 
taken from the bed and thrown into the air chamber where there 
v/as plenty of room for it. 

November 6th. We were not able to understand why the plank 
was against the air grate, and the ventilation and light cut olT from 
the chamber. I was determined to find out, because 1 thought that 
would be the next place for us to commence work, as at that point 
we would have only to cut through one wall or take out the air 
grate. I proposed when we went out to the wash trough (to wash 
our faces) that we should learn the cause of this obstruction. It 
was not long until we were marched to the wash trough, 
and while some were washing, two or three of us sauntered 
about the yard in the direction of the end wall, above 
mentioned, and to our disgust found hundreds of bushels of 
coal piled against this Wall and air grate. I saw at once that if we 
removed the grate that the coal would come down on us in an 
avalanche. It was, therefore, necessary to find some other place 
to begin work. 

We began cutting through the cell wall. The first rock which 



376 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

we attempted to get out was an odd-shaped one, with the larger 
end back in the wall, with a sharp point next to us; it gave us 
much trouble; it required three da3^s' work to get it from its place. 

November 10th. Captain Taylor had not been well since the 
sixth; Sheldon, Bennett, Magee and myself had been doing the 
work. These walls being so thick, we were compelled to cut in the 
face a space of six or seven feet wide so that we might have an 
opening on the opposite side large enough for a man to go through. 
During the Uth nothing of importance transpired, but on the 12th 
the whole thing came near being a failure. Before commencing 
the work we agreed upon a system of signals by which we were 
to be governed. The bed prop was again to be brought into use: 
one tap with this on the floor was to notify those at work to come 
out and let others take their places. Two taps was a signal for 
dinner and was usually given a half an hour before time for eating. 
Three taps was the signal of danger and we were to come out as 
quickly as possible when this was given. By some oversight on 
this day, those whose duty it was to give me the signal for dinner 
failed to do so. The others were called in line and marched into the 
dining hall, leaving me in the air chamber. General Morgan made 
some excuse for not going to dinner, and as soon as they all passed 
out of the gate he gave me the alarm signal. I came out as quickly 
as possible. They had missed me at roll call at dinner and Scott came 
on a hunt for me. I had just time to get out and brush my clothes 
when I heard him .ask the general, who was standing between the 
gate and the cell, ''Where is Captain Hockersmith?" The general re- 
plied, "I left him lying upon my bed a few moments ago complain- 
ing of not being well. I had missed him and I came to look him 
up. Let's go up into my cell and see if he is there." As soon as 
they got far enough beyond, that I could get there without de- 
tection, I went into it and covered myself up in bed. I saw that I 
would have to feign sickness which I did the best I could. When 
Scott found that I was not in Gen. Morgan's cell, he immediately 
came to mine and found me in bed and inquired as to my disease. 
He seemed satisfied, and as he left I asked him to bring me a little 
sick diet. In a short time he sent me some nice toasted bread, stewed 
chicken and a cup of tea. I remained in my cell until 4 p. m., when 
the doctor came in and left me some medicine, which, as soon 
as he left, I threw in the stove. No work was done that after- 
noon. 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 377 

Nov. I3th found me still on the sick list, though improving 
rapidly. Some of the boys were at work under the floor. The 
doctor came in again and left some more medicine, which went 
into the stove to keep company with yesterday's stuff. It cured 
me and soon I went down to work again and found Bennett, Sheldon 
and Magee had done well. This day we completed the journey 
through the first wall. 

On the 14th of November we began digging the ditch from the 
cell wall to the outer wall of the main building, which was a distance 
of twenty feet. The first eigv.teen inches of this was loose dirt, 
made so by filling the trenches of the foundation walls. We sup- 
posed that the digging of the ditch would be an easy job, judging 
from the first foot and a hair. But we soon discovered our mistake, 
for after getting through the stratum of loose dirt we came to a 
hard, tough clay, which did nc': yield very readily to our knives. 
I procured an additional knife, made by a convict out of an old razor 
blade; it prkDved to be the best tool for digging that we had been able 
to secure. 1 sharpened the end of it on a brick, and thus formed 
a kind of chisel of it. Captain Taylor managed to get a shovel 
from a convict who was wheeling in coal, but we could only use 
the shovel in the loose dirt after we had digged it out with our 
knives. The ground was too hard and the ditch or hole too small 
to use it as a spade. 

After we had gone some four or five feet intO' the ditch Captain 
Taylor brought us a box eight by ten inches square and eight 
inches deep. It had been sent filled with provisions to some of 
the boys. In the box we bored a hole with our pocket knives, 
tied a rope to it, made of a piece of bed ticking, and 
with the stick used to prop our beds we would push 
the box back into the ditch, where it would be filled by 
the man who was at work. When full it would be hauled out 
and emptied into the air chamber. 

On the 17th of November Captain Bennett was reported as not 
being able to work, on account of having blistered his hands; that 
left Sheldon, Magee and myself to complete the work, though 
Bennett sat at the mouth of the hole and drew out the dirt and 
emptied it. We were just seven days in cutting this ditch which 
was in size eighteen inches wide three feet high and twelve feet long. 
One day while engaged in this work I came near being caught. I 
had traded one of the convicts out of a prison cap which was 



378 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

made of the same material as their clothing. I wore it while 
at work to keep the dirt out of my hair. One day while at work 
our candles gave out and 1 went up to get a fresh supply and 
in the hurry forgot that I had on the prison cap; but fortunately 
the man from whom I had gotten it was sweeping the hall imme- 
diately in front of the cell 1 was going out of. He noticed the 
cap and told me to take it off, which I did and threw it back into 
the cell without attracting any further notice. Had this been 
discovered by the officers I would have been sent to the dungeon 
for my indiscretion. I secured my candles :{nL\ went back to 
work. I think we used something near nine pounds of candles 
while engaged in this underground work. We had the privilege 
of buying them provided we paid for them ourselves. 

By the 21st of November we had completed nearly all the un- 
derground work except cutting through one wall. There had been 
no effort made to get the cell doors open as yet. Taylor and 
myself went to remind Captain Hines of his promise. We found 
him in General Morgan's cell and reminded him of his promise. 
He replied that it was impossible for him to get the doors open. 
The General then asked what was to be done. I proposed that 
we cut a hole through the floors of each one of our cells proposing 
that we work up from underneath. I had made the same propo- 
sition to Taylor and Bennett before. They at once approved of 
the plan, and seemed to be relieved. 

We worked four days getting through the outer wall and cut- 
ting four feet up the wall toward the top of the ground, leaving 
about two feet to cut after other work was completed. We then 
went to work cutting through our cell doors. On the 25th I had 
another conversation with General Morgan. He inquired as to 
how we were progressing. I told him that in two days more the 
work would be completed. He expressed surprise at the prog- 
ress we had made. He then proposed to me that if we made 
our escape and that if I would go with him to Richmond that he 
would give me ^10,000 in gold. I thanked him, of course, but told 
him that it was freedom and not money that I was after. He 
replied: "That makes no difference; you must have the money." 
Captains Bennett and Taylor were present at the time and one 
of them — Bennett, I think, — made the statement: "We never 
would have gotten through these arches and walls had it not been 
for Captain Hockersmith, or some other bricklayer." The General 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE. 379 

sanctioned what was said. He also proposed to give $5o or $100 
to any one in the first range of cells who would exchange cells 
with him the night we were to make the escape. The arrange- 
ment was effected with his brother, Colonel Dick Morgan, and on 
the night of the escape they exchanged cells. 

Sheldon, Magee and myself worked faithfully on the 26th and 
27th, and just about completed the work of cutting through the 
other six floors, Sheldon and Magee cutting three of them — their 
own and Colonel Dick Morgan's — while 1 cut three — Captains 
Ta34or, Bennett and my own. We did not cut quite through 
the six inches of concrete, but just nearly enough so that by a 
stroke of the foot from the top it would be broken through. The 
first hole made was under the bed in cell No. 20, the one through 
which we entered the air chamber, while the others were under the 
fifteen-inch plank which lay in front of the beds. In estimating 
the place to work up through from the bottom, it was only neces- 
sary to get the width of the cells and the thickness of the parti- 
tion walls. Again we brought into use the bed prop, using it as 
a measuring pole. 

On the following page is a diagram of the cell in which 
we worked, showing the cement and arches we cut through; 
also the ditch and two stone walls we cut through. The diagram 
represents cell No, 20, although it was cell No. 1 with end wall 
taken out, showing the end of it, and also ends of the air chamber. 
Also back of bed with wall taken away, giving view of floor under 
the floor: 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS' 



Profile of Prison Cell. 




iMORGAX'S ESCAPE. 381 

No. a— Hall floor. 

No. 00.— Hall way. 

No. 1. — Door way to cell. 

No. 2. — Bedstead. 

No. 3. — Concrete floor. 

No. 4. — Arches. 

No. 5.— Hole cut through to air chamber. 

No. 6. — Filling- between arch and concrete. 

No. 7. — Wall between convicts and prisoners. 

No. 8. — Wall of prison cells. 

No. 9. — Between outer and inner walls. 

No. 10.— Outer wall. 

No. 11. — Hole digged upward as escape. 

No. 12. — Opening made from air chamber. 

No. 13. — Tunnel from wall to wall. 

No. 14. — Cut through outer wall. 

No. 15. — Air chamber. 
. No. 16. — Rock removed from No. 11. 

No. 17. — Where we came out from under the prison. 

Several parties had helped us in various ways. Captain C. H. 
Morgan made our rope by tearing up a bed tick and platting it into 
a rope sufficiently large and strong to hold the weight of any or- 
dinary man. Everything was now ready for us to make the at- 
tempt. Liberty was just before us; in a short time we should bid 
farewell to prison and prison rules. It had been determined that 
we should leave on the night of the 27th, just after the guard made 
his midnight round; but just before we were locked up in our cells 
nil agreed that the night was too light to make the attempt. 

We had formed our plans to elude the watch. It was the 
custom of the night gnaard to examine the cells three times during 
the night — once at ten o'clock, then at twelve, again at three. The 
guard carried with him what I call a coffee-pot lamp — that is a 
lamp with a spout to it — and as he approached the cell door if 
he saw no one therein by the dim light he would stick the spout 
through the bars and throw the light upon the bed. We knew 
that we should have to resort to some means to deceive him. It 
was agreed that we would always if possible have our heads 
covered up when he came and in the event he stuck the spout in, 
to throw off the cover as if frightened. By this means he came 
to believe that we slept with our heads covered. So the night we 



382 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

escaped we stuffed our drawers and undershirts with straw taken 
from the beds, and after he had made his midnight round we 
covered the stuffed clothes up in bed and slid down into the air 
chamber. 

It was agreed that on the night of the 28th we should make 
the start. The understanding was that Taylor should go down into 
the air chamber first and knock on the thin cement as a signal for 
us to go down. I followed him to complete the hole to the top 
of the ground which work perhaps, required some twenty or thirty 
minutes. ! went up into the yard and found all quiet. It was 
then raining slowly, though it had been raining hard just before. 
The guards and their dogs had all gone under shelter. 1 went back 
and reported. Our rope was ready, with a good grab-hook made 
of a bent poker. We all now marched out into the yard. After 
getting there we found an inner wall about twelve feet from the 
main wall. That wall was only twenty feet high, while the outer 
one was twenty-five feet high. This lower wall had in the end 
a slat gate which was not less than twelve feet high. The gate 
had a brace or two nailed on it. Taylor climbed up on the braces 
to the top of the gate, tied a rock to the end of the rope, threw 
it over the wall, let it swing down until he could reach through 
the gate, caught the end and tied it. The rope was made with 
loops, which made the climbing an easy matter. After we had 
gotten to the top of the lower wall we then had only five feet 
m.ore to climb to get on top of the tv/enty-five-foot wall. We 
jumped on that, went round to the sentinel box or stand fronting 
the railroad, fastened our rope to an iron rod near the guardhouse, 
and after changing our clothing, we went down the rope to the 
ground. General Morgan left his carpet-sack; Taylor and myself 
went back into the yard and got it. We were now outside the 
prison walls forever and were bidding adieu to Columbus. We 
then separated for a while. Bennett and myself agreed to travel 
tO'gether, General Morgan and Hines were paired, Taylor and 
Sheldon together and Magee by himself. Bennett and myself 
went to the depot and procured tickets to Cincinnati. General 
Morgan had given me seven dollars, and I already had about the 
same amount. After procuring our tickets we took seats in the coach. 
It was but a few minutes when Morgan and Hines came in. We 
pretended to be asleep until the train moved off. They ran 
near enough to the prison walls for us to see our rope swinging 



MORGAN'S ESCAPE, 383 

in the breeze. General Morgan took his seat by the side of a 
Federal colonel. 1 know not what passed between them, except 
a bottle of brandy, of which they both partook. Not long after 
that Morgan remarked that he saw two of his old Kentucky friends 
sitting just ahead of them, and that he wished to speak to them. He 
came where we were, shook hands with us, and after talking a 
moment went back to his seat by the colonel. We said nothng 
more to him until we reached Cincinnati. Bennett and myself 
were standing -on the platform when he came out where we were, 
and told us that he and Hines were going to jump off, and insisted 
that we do the same. I told him that we had purchased om- 
nibus tickets for Covington, and that we would cross the river 
that way. He thought that if we went to the depot we should 
be captured. He bade us good-bye and jumped off. 

Bennett and I remained in Covington until eleven o'clock a. m., 
let ourselves be known to a fifteen-year-old clerk who gave us our 
breakfast and got us out of the city. We went to Owen county 
and after gathering corn for twO' or three weeks we left there 
.and came to Hopkins county. 1 left Captain Bennett sick near 
Ashbyburg, on Green river, and came to Madisonville. I remained 
at home two nights and one day, when I again took up my line 
of march, made my way to the Confederate army, was again 
captured, made my escape, to be the third time a captive of war, 
and the third time made my escape. 

Forty years have passed since these stirring times, and a majority 
of those who went into that struggle now lie beneath tlie sod of 
the valley. The brave General Morgan did not live to see the 
dose of the struggle or witness the failure of the " Lost Cause." 
A nobler, truer, or braver man than he never led men to battle. 

The memory of this gallant soldier and his daring deeds are em- 
balmed in the hearts of those who stood by him amid the trials 
and duties of war. 

For my comrades who shared with me the toils and privations of 
a prison life, I have nothing but the kindest feeling, and pray that 
when the last trump shall sound that each and every one of them 
may have on the armor of salvation and all be happy throughout 
eternity. 



384 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 



AN INDORSEMENT. 

Nash/ille, Tennessee, January 20, 1899. I wish to state I 
have carefully read and ' examined Captain L. D. Hockersmith's 
account of General Morgan and his companions' escape from the 
Ohio State Penitentiary and find it to be a correct and impartial 

J. C. BENNETT, CAPTAIN TENTH KY. CAV., C. S. A. 

P. S. I also authorize Captain Hockersmlth to attach my name 
to said account whenever he desires to republish it. 



A PARTISAN RANGER MARRIES AN OHIO GIRL, 



BY CAPTAIN JOHN G. ROACH. 

Joe Williams, of Company K, Colonel Adam R. Johnson's 
Tenth Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, was severely wounded during 
Morgan's raid through Indiana and Ohio. Captain John G. Roach, 
of Louisville, relates this story: "A mutual friend and myself, 
feeling sure that our comrade must soon bleed to death, carried him 
by main strength into a dwelling-house near by. As his clothes 
were dripping with blood, the ladies of the house protested most 
vehemently against our entering the door, declaring that their carpets 
and floors would be ruined, but in we pushed regardless of what 
the women said, and laid h*m on the floor. I then 
assured the discomfited and agitated ladies that our comrade's de- 
voted mother was a woman of means and would amply repay them 
for any and all the care and attention they would give her beloved 
son. We then left hurriedly, as firing was going on all around 
us and we feared capture. 

" Some years after the war, never having heard a word of my 
wounded comrade since he was left in the house of the strangers^ 
I was in some town in Southern Kentucky when 1 chanced, greatly 
to my astonishment, to meet my old comrade, Joe Williams, whom 
I had long thought dead. But there he was in fact, sound and well. 
Joe naturally insisted upon my accompanying him to his home 
in the country some miles from town, saying that he gratefully 
recalled bow I and our mutual friend had saved his life at the im- 
minent risk of our own. I accepted his pressing invitation, and 
we were so busy talking about our former military experiences that 
I forgot to ask him if he were a married man; and was much 

385 



\ 



386 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 



surprised when, upon reaching the house I was introduced to one 
of the ladies with whom I had left Williams, in Ohio, as Mrs. 
Williams. 

''She was one of the protesting daughters of the protesting mother, 
but had nursed him kindly, and his gratitude was great, and his 
affection for her became so strong that he went back after the war 
and married her." 




WM. WILLIAMS, M. D. 
Co. B, IOthKy.,P.R. 



A PRIVATE'S RECOLLECTION OF MORGAN AND HIS 

MEN. 

BY DR. W. WILLIAMS, OF CHURCH HILL, KENTUCKY. 
I. ACTIVE SERVICE. 

I am prompted by a notice of the death of Colonel R. M. Martin, 
(Bob Martin as he was familiarly called), to present a few rem- 
iniscences that may bring to memory some of the cherished recollec- 
tions of the ''boys in gray " whose ranks are becoming decimated by 
time. 

It was my good fortune to belong to the Tenth Kentucky 
Cavalry, the regiment of which this daring spirit was made colonel 
by the promotion of the no less gallant oificer. Colonel Adam R. 
Johnson, to the brigadier generalship of the Second Brigade of 
Morgan's division of cavalry. Under the leadership of these gal- 
lant officers as partisans, Johnson's regiment became famous 
throughout Kentucky. On reporting to General Morgan for duty 
near Murfreesboro, they at once ranked with the best troops, and 
from then on they participated in all the daring undertakings of 
that dashing cavalier. 

After remaining in camp for a month we started on the raid into 
Kentucky, known as the "Christmas raid," made memorable by 
the hardships endured, the rigors of winter, the swollen streams to 
be forded or swum, incessant pursuit of the enemy, and the night 
marching and frequent engagements, all of which told upon the 
physical man; but it went to make veterans of boys wholly unac- 
customed to the hardships of army life. The fruits of this raid 
were immense. The capture of towns with their army supplies, 
the destruction of railroads and government property, the capture 

387 



388 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

and paroling of hundreds of prisoners of war, the equipment of our 
men with the best of arms, the addition cf recruits to our ranks, 
thereby relieving General Bragg as he quietly fell back upon Tul- 
lahoma. It was while crossing one of these rivers (Rolling Fork) 
that General Duke received a wound from the explosion of a shell, 
a fragment of which ripped its way through the side of his head. 
As we supposed him killed, gloom hung over the command like a 
pall ; no officer possessed the confidence and esteem of his men to a 
greater degree. 

As we passed out of Kentucky into Tennessee we took position 
at the forks of the pike near Liberty. It was here I think, that 
Colonel Johnson received his appointment of brigadier general. It 
was while here that the battles of Milton, Woodbury and Snow 
Hill were fought. It was while here that Colonel Martin so de- 
lighted in his characteristic scouts, one of which I call to mind 
and would be glad to relate. General Rosecrans had issued an 
order that all Confederates caught within the Federal lines wearing 
Federal uniforms should be treated as spies. The order was in- 
tended for Morgan's men more especially, as they frequently wore 
the captured overcoats. - In fact if I remember correctly. General 
Morgan wore one of the overcoats himself, and it was not an 
unusual thing to see a private dressed completely in a Federal 
uniform, boots and spurs included. Colonel Martin ordered a 
detail of one hundred and- twenty-five men to represent Federal 
cavalrymen as nearly as possible. Of this detail the writer was 
one. After preparing two days' rations we started on our march, 
a perfect counterpart of a Yankee scouting party. That night we 
bivouacked in a dense grove of cedar, within hearing of the Federal 
army, the noise of which reminded one of some great monster as 
it lashed itself into repose. As we rested ourselves on our arms, 
ready to move at a moment's notice, I thoughtlessly removed a 
spur from my foot which was unpleasantly tight, thinking I 
would get it before leaving, but unfortunately I failed to think of 
it. It had been borrowed of my captain who prized it highly, as 
it was one of a pair presented him by some friend. We had gone 
about three miles before I missed the spur. Riding up to my 
captain I told him of my loss. He seemed to be much worried, 
and asked me to gallop back and get it. In the face of Rose- 
crans's order and my probable capture, I hesitated, but recalling 
the fact that I was mounted on one of General Harding's Belle 



MORGAN AND HIS MEN. 389 

JVleade race horses, I felt that I could outrun the entire Yankee 
army, if it became necessary. Without delay I galloped back just 
.as the sun was creeping above the tree tops. I was never more 
impressed with the beauties of the morning. On turning an angle 
in front of a small church, and almost in sight of the coveted spur, 
1 ran face to face with two Yankee cavalrymen. Instantly my 
Sharp's carbine went to my shoulder, with the command to halt, 
which they did without a moment's hesitation. I asked them what 
company they belonged to. They said the Twenty-first Cavalry. 
I ordered them to take the road bearing to my right and watched 
them as they disappeared in the cedars. I lost no time in recov- 
ering the spur and making all haste in getting away from so un- 
wholesome a locality. " 

Early that morning Colonel Martin halted us near the pike, 
Pranklin or Alexandria, I forget which. The rumbling of wagons 
:and the tramp of horses on the road denoted a foraging expedition. 
Leaving us to await his command, he quietly rode in the direc- 
tion of the passing train of wagons, looking the ideal Yankee 
•colonel. The wagons began to come to us. In a little while our 
Tuse was found out and the alarm given. The Yankees began to 
stampede and I have never witnessed such a stampede. 

Wagons were turned over, mules killed and we were not able to 
make off with our captures on account of the obstruction and the 
dense growth of cedars. Eight wagons, thirty-two mules and 
sixteen prisoners. Colonel Martin had captured, you might say, 
entirely alone. We lost no time in getting them oui of the way. 
Placing a guard over them they were started back in a different 
■direction to the one they came. 

Going in the direction of what is known as Union Hill, Colonel 
Martin learned that a regiment of Federal cavalry was ahead. He 
though to capture or disperse them. By rapid marching we were 
soon near the crest of the hill, and just here we were ordered to 
charge, not cavalry, but an entire regiment of infantry, who sent 
a withering volley into our little party. Here I lost my Belle 
JVleade thoroughbred, shot in two places. That brave soldier and 
comrade, John T. Sherley, came back under fire and carried me 
out behind him. As we were far into the Yankee lines and they 
were becoming thoroughly aroused, we lost no time in getting 
l^ack to camp, there to await orders pending other movements. 

In a short while we were ordered to move in the direction of Cum- 



390 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

berland river to a more favorable camping ground (Salt Lick Bend)^ 
leaving many -of the rank and file behind in killed and wounded. 
I think it was at McMinnville about this time that Colonel Martin 
received the wound through the lung which troubled him ever after 
and which finally caused his death. Major Owen assumed com- 
mand of the regiment, putting the men in the best possible position. 
Leaving the convalescents in camp, we began crossing the river 
into Kentucky. Brushing away a small force of cavalry that 
opposed us, we reached Green river on the morning of the Fourth 
of July, and had a most spirited engagement with some Michigan 
troops, who fought from a splendidly constructed fortress. We^ 
lost here in killed and wounded fifty or sixty of our brave boys. 
Among the killed was Colonel Chenault. Passing on to Lebanon, 
Kentucky, we were soon hotly engaged with and stubbornly resisted 
by Colonel Hanson, a brother of General Roger Hanson, of Con- 
federate fame. It was here that Lieutenant Tom Morgan was 
killed, the younger brother of C^eneral Morgan, a mere boy, but 
noted for his daring bravery and his devotion to the cause. 

After the capture and paroling of Colonel Hanson and his men, 
we at once began the march. Reaching Brandenburg, we cap- 
tured two steamboats, one a United States packet, a magnificent 
side-wheeler, the Alice Dean. Holding in check a gunboat by the 
well-directed fire of our artillery until the last man had been ferried 
over, as we ascended the hill on the Indiana shore, the heavens 
were lighted by the blaze of this magnificent steamer as it was 
rapidly reduced to ashes. Never doubting our leaders. Generals 
Morgan, Duke and Johnson, we pressed forward to Corydon, to be 
met by several thousand militia and home guards, who had thrown 
up breastworks in front of their little city. They, however, were 
no match for the dauntless Morgan, for soon we were in possession 
of the town. I shall never forget the abundance of eatables 
that the good dames had prepared for their patriotic lords, who 
evidently anticipated a siege of several days' duration. 

On, on we swept like the wind, overrunning by sheer audacity 
all resistance. At Salem, bridges, railroads, and government 
supplies were destroyed, amounting to thousands of dollars. Cit- 
izens fled in consternation, regarding us as a band of ruffians who 
would spare nothing. From every hillside the crack of rifles was 
heard as they fired into our jaded ranks. But on, on we swept: 
like some mighty cyclone, from Salem to Vernon, on to Harrison,, 



MORGAN AND HIS MEN* Wi 

even into the suburbs of Cincinnati, where the pickets were driven 
into the city. Traversing three great States, our men were 
utterly exhausted. Reaching the Ohio, the Federals began to 
swarm around us like bees, like suggestions of a diseased brain 
with its horrible hallucination of blue-devils dancing in their joyous 
glee amid sulphuric flames. The heroic General Johnson plunged 
into the Ohio with a few followers, in utter disregard of grape and 
cannister as it belched forth from the port-holes of a gunboat in 
livid flames. After a lapse of nearly two score years the horrible 
scene is as vivid as yesterday, horses and men struggling amid 
stream, many to sink to rise no more, and we powerless to help 
them. 

As the capture and imprisonment of General Morgan with most 
-of his officers and the indignities heaped upon them are matters of 
Ihistory I will not enter into its details; but, in the next paper, will 
describe the treatment of some of us privates at Camp Douglas. 

II. PRISON LIFE. 

As Morgan failed to cross the Ohio after the capture of nearly 
liis entire command, he made for the interior, hoping io' get 
into Pennsylvania territory and cross into Virginia. He had only 
the remnant of his command that had succeeded in getting away at 
Buffington, not more than three hundred, if so many. Pressing 
on all day and night as fast as jaded horses and worn out men 
could, we reached a little town, Irvington, Ohio, where we 
surprised and captured the garrison. After paroling the Federals, 
General Morgan said to us: "All who have horses unable to travel 
will ride to the front." Fifty-four of his decimated command rode 
forward, this writer among the number. He briefly addressed us, 
saying that he would press no fresh horses but that he would turn 
us over to Colonel Sontag, who would treat us as prisoners of 
war. With this he waved us an adieu and passed on with that 
lordly bearing like some knight of old, never to be seen again in 
life by us. 

Colonel Sontag proved to be a gentleman and a soldier; he 
allowed us the choice of turning over our horses to* the citizens 
or the United States Government. I gave mine to his major; I 
liave forgotten his name, but I shall ever think of him kindly. We 
were marched to Portsmouth, Ohio, where we were kept over 
night, then we were placed on a packet and sent to Cincinnati, and 



392 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

then to Camp Morton, Indiana, where our prison life began in. 
reality. After being searched and stripped of everything of value, 
even a pocket knife being denied us, we were counted and allotte'd 
to the barracks (I think originally intended for horses) without 
floors. Vermin could be seen crawling upon the ground, but 
having traversed three States, we were so utterly exhausted that 
we defied graybacks and dropped upon the ground or in bunks and 
gave ourselves up to that great restorer of over-taxed nature, sleep. 
We slept long and profoundly, 1 do not know how long. We 
were summoned to roll call by the sound -of the bugle. 

It was here at our first roll call that Morgan's men appeared 
most ridiculous. Some wore stove-pipe hats and linen dusters, 
with pants stuffed in cavalry boots, some in shirt sleeves and no 
shoes; others in a combination of Confederate gray and citizens' 
clothes, and some in linen suits. I had on an article of apparel,, 
low-necked- and short sleeved (which I had hastily secured from a 
burning building, thinking I was getting a much needed shirt), all 
my clothes miserably dirty from an accumulation of dust and per- 
spiration, the dust giving a ground-in appearance, making it diffi- 
cult to distinguish their real color. In addition to their ridiculous, 
appearance there was an irritability pervading the entire command, 
doubtless due to an overtaxed nervous system, brought about by 
the hardships endured. I have counted several fights during a. 
day; they were usually of a harmless nature, fisticuffs, as there was 
nothing to do harm with, all having been deprived of all weapons. 
However, there was one man killed during our stay of a month at 
Camp Morton; a Texan killed a fellow prisoner. What the 
Federal authorities did about it I never learned; they removed him 
from prison. 

After a stay of one month at Camp Morton, we were transferred. 
to Camp Douglas, near Chicago. We were kept here eighteen, 
months, guarded by the First Michigan sharpshooters and Indians, 
who were finally sent to the front in time to participate in the 
charge after the mine explosion in front of Petersburg, leaving but 
few to tell the tale. . " Old Red," whom all of Morgan's men recall 
with a shudder, was a sergeant in this regiment, and noted for his 
harsh treatment of the prisoners. Captain Sponable, I remember 
quite well, was the proud owner of a magnificent Newfoundland 
dog, which followed him into prison and strayed into the barracks 
of the Second Kentucky, Duke's old regiment. No sooner had 



MORGAN AND HIS MEN. 393 

it entered than the boys had a blanket thrown over it, and in a 
:short while had a feast savory beyond description. Rats were 
eaten with avidity when they could be caught about the sinks. In 
fact there was a sense of everlasting hunger that could not be 
appeased by prison allowance, which was barely sufficient to keep 
soul and body together. Those who were so fortunate as to have 
friends outside were permitted an occasional meal that the many 
were denied; and in this connection, I recall the kindness of Mrs. 
Waller, of Chicago, also Mrs. Philip Laerman as well as Mr, Cope- 
land and Rev. E. B. Tuttle, who, 1 think is now bishop of Mis- 
souri. If it should be the same he will doubtless recall the boy 
who was placed in White Oak, with his friend Clore, for having 
rolled off a barrel of pork from the Federal commissary depart- 
ment. 

In the spring following our first winter, smallpox in all its fury 
liroke out among the prisoners, carrying many to their final resting- 
place out on the cold cheerless prairie, to be swept by the bleak 
winds and chilling frost of an inhospitable clime. ' But even there 
beside that great expanse of water, loving hands from the beloved 
•Southland have erected a shaft of marble perpetuating the mem- 
ory of those who so willingly gave up their lives for a cause they 
loved. [ The most touching incident of devotion I ever saw was a 
negro boy some sixteen or eighteen years of age, a body servant 
■of one of Morgan's men, and the only negro in prison; he per- 
sistently refusing his liberty, preferring to remain with his master. 
He finally died and was carried to the deadhouse, where he was partly 
devoured by rats. 

Seven-up, poker and dice were the prevailing forms of amuse- 
ment; every form of literature, more especially newspapers, were 
denied us. Many utterly lost hope of ever being exchanged, and 
would take any risk to make their escape, which, in spite of the 
vigilance of guards, they often succeeded in accomplishing, either 
by scaling the walls or by tunneling. This was finally made 
impossible by raising the barracks several feet above the ground 
and doubling the guards and establishing a deadline, which was 
made as plain as day by large lamps lighting up the entire streets 
from one end to the other. 

The Federals had various methods of punishing the prisoners 
for violations of prison rules. One often practiced was riding 
them on ''Morgan's Mule," -which was a two-inch scantling set 



394 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

up edgewise, and about eight feet from the ground, which they 
were forced to mount and sit astride. After remaining there awhile 
one felt as though the spinal column was being pushed out at the 
top of the head. (I speak from experience). Another mode of 
punishment was to tie one up by the thumbs with the feet barely 
reaching the ground. Incarceration in the dungeon with or without 
shackles, depending upon the offense, was another punishment. 
Firing into the barracks, if lights were seen after taps, was some- 
times resorted to. Our sergeant major, Frank Porter, now 
county clerk at Princeton, had his arm shot off at the shoulder in 
this way. 

The winter of 1863-4 was one of the coldest on record. The 
suffering of the prisoners was great in the extreme. I have seen 
great, stout-hearted men who had faced death in many forms 
weep from the intense cold. 

There were several thousand prisoners confined at Camp Douglas, 
many of them Hood's men, who were captured at Franklin on his 
ill-fated march into Middle Tennessee. 

In the spring of 1865, Morgan's men were electrified by the news 
of their speedy exchange. The visions of the green fields of 
Kentucky and the mountain fastness of Tennessee, with its rippling 
waters and genial clime, were soon to be realized, after nineteen 
months of hardships and denials, which are made sacred by memory. 
In a few briefs years the last Confederate will have passed into tha 
portals of the Great Beyond and, like their colors at Appomattox,. 
will be nothing more than a memory. 



ESCAPE FROM CAiMP MORTON. 

BY FRANK AMPLIAS OWEN. 

The prisoners belonging to my regiment, Eighth Kentucky, C. 
S. A., were quartered in the fair ground stables, all open in front. 
The back wall of these stables was made of one and one-fourth 
inch board about twelve feet long set upon ends, this making the 
outer wall of the prison in February and March, 1862. What it 
was later, I do not know. Through this wall a door was cut 
by the United States carpenters, using one of the horse stalls for 
a passage or door way into a lot containing about one-fourth of 
an acre of land that was fenced in an oblong square with rough 
boards fourteen to sixteen feet long, set on ends, and the two 
ends of this fence were joined to the main wall of the fair grounds 
or prison. Thus a long ditch was dug in this space and used as 
an out-house by the prisoners. 

On a day of April, 1862, late in the afternoon, a little storm 
blew down the eastern section of this out-house wall, leaving only 
about three planks standing at right angles and joined to the out- 
side wall running east and west, parallel with the out-house ditch, 
making a snug corner. 

Through this breach I determined to try to make my escape, 
having just^the day before secured a suit of citizen's clothes from 
one of the United States guards on duty about the prison, for 
which we paid him (three of us, Owen Glass, of Henderson 
county, Thomas Carlisle, of Webster county, and myself) seventy- 
five dollars in greenbacks and fifteen dollars for betraying his 
trust, and from the quality of the clothes I am satisfied he made 
.equally as much, if not double the amount that we had paid him for 

395 



396 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

his perfidy. At any rate we were satisfied, for tliey were only 
about two sizes too large for us, and we wanted to wear them 
over our uniforms on account of the cold weather of that climate 
in March. Carlisle and I bunked together. Owen Glass had a 
bunk in Dr. Broy's prison office. This Dr. Madison J. Broy was 
the prison surgeon and lived in Evansville, Indiana, until 1899, 
when he died at the ripe old age of ninety years, honored and. 
loved by every one. Owen Glass and I were distantly related 
and were warm personal friends ; and as I had a minie ball in my leg 
that I had brought from Fort Donelson, and it was causing me more 
trouble than pleasure, as soon as I got to prison I called on Dr. Broy 
and formed his acquaintance and he really seemed to enjoy the job. 
I did not make as much fun about its removal, the boys said, as 
Clive Brown did about having a tooth extracted by this selfsame 
surgeon a few minutes before. The truth of the matter was, I was 
afraid to go to the hospital down in Indianapolis, and I somehow 
or other always dreaded a hospital. From some cause the Yanks 
put an extra line of men on guard this special night, running through 
the prison length, and thus separating us from Dr. Broy's office- 
building, hence Owen Glass was left behind. However, he escaped 
a few weeks later and was killed by the Yanks somewhere in Union 
county, between Henderson and Morganfield, Kentucky. I never 
saw him after I left Camp Morton. A braver boy never wore the 
Confederate uniform than Owen Glass; he would have made his 
mark if he had lived. Quite a number who bunked near us learned 
that Carlisle and I were surely going to make the attempt that night, 
and some fifty or more determined to run out after us while the 
guard's gun was empty after firing after us. Their leader, whose 
name I do not remember, promised me that we should have the right 
of way first, and no man was allowed to enter the out-house lot 
after 'Taps" until his party had heard the Yankee guns; then their 
plan was to rush out and take their chances, every man hoping to 
make good his escape in some way or other. It is amusing now to 
look back and see how some of that party were gotten up for 
their charge and long trip through the enemy's country. I shall 
mention one (but not his name) : A member of my company (A) 
whose getup was only a little exaggerated over many in that party. 
First, he had fully six days' rations, was in heavy marching order 
with bedding strapped on, and to this, frying pan, coffee or camp 
kettle, an old clock that struck the hours, like a jackass's first notes 



ESCAPE FROM CAMP MORTON. 397 

before each strike, with a camp-stool with an old oilcloth table cover 
over all to keep the outfit dry. What a pity these boys were doomed 
to disappointment, for the guards' guns were not fired at us, but Carl- 
isle and I got out all the same, and this is the manner in which we 
did it: Just as the guard or sentry cried, "Half past twelve o'clock 
and all is well," I went to the out-house lot and approached the long 
ditch rapidly as though I was on business bent, and as soon as the 
sentries met and separated at the corner of the house from which we 
expected to make our break for liberty, I took my stand in the 
corner; a moment later Carlisle came and took his stand just behind 
me, and when the two sentries met just outside and within two feet 
of us and separated and were thirty or forty feet apart and were 
"v^^alking in opposite directions, we slipped out from our hiding place. 
and passed between them with as little noise as possible, and walking 
rapidly. When we were some forty yards outside of the sentries^ 
beat, and about half way to a low farm-fence of rails, it lightened 
and we could see the long line of guards, and took to our heels and 
ran as fast as we could. Forgetting the fence, we both struck it 
and fell over it on the other side, just as another flash of lightning 
lit up the heavens. Right here we laid very close to mother earth 
until we could get a breath and steady our nerves. After another 
flash of lightning, we arose from our muddy bed and made double- 
quick time till we got to a ravine out of sight of our enem}\ Then 
we struck a match and got our bearings with a compass. Our plan 
was to skirt around the city on the east side, which we did, reaching 
the White river below the city just at daylight. We then followed 
down the east bank of the river for quite a long distance, half wading 
and swimming sloughs and branches, until we discovered a skitf on 
the opposite bank of the ri\^er. I stripped and s^\•am the river with 
much difficulty, as the water was very cold and the current swift; 
making a safe landing however, nearly a half mile below my objec- 
tive point. When I finally reached the skiff it was chained and locked 
to the roots of .a small red elm-tree. I secured a fence rail, broke it 
and with the thin, flat, sharp end of one piece I dug the earth from 
the root for a distance of at least twenty feet, to a point at which the 
root was small, yet I failed to break it until I had gnawed the bark 
from the top of the root with my teeth, and then with a fence-rail 
I succeeded in breaking it and pulling it far enough back under the 
bank of the river to get the chain off. About this time a lady came 
out on a veranda or porch of a farm-house on the rise just above me. 



398 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

some one hundred and fifty yards, or more, distant from the river. 
She held out her hand and let the water from the dripping eaves of 
the house run on it for an hour it seemed to me in my excited state 
of mind, before she finally disappeared in the house. I got into the 
skitT and allowed the current to take me down the river out of sight ; 
with my half flat rail 1 paddled the canoe to the east side and took 
in my comrade, donned my clothes and again put our craft in the 
middle of the current, feeling most glorious, thinking we had a 
clear river into the Ohio and all our main diltlculties were gone. 
About three o'clock in the afternoon we stopped at a cabin on the 
bank and bought a loaf of corn-bread and a piece of boiled hog- 
shoulder. We then resumed our journey down the river, happy as 
any two boys you ever saw. We knew that we were no "small 
punkins," and just while we were exulting over our wonderful 
success, and thinking that the boys we left behind were all fools for 
letting a thing as small as the Fair-Grounds Prison keep them from 
home and friends we rounded a point and came in full view of Waver- 
ly, Indiana, and, oh, horrors, a mill-dam and a fall sufficient to make 
it dangerous for our craft! As we neared the town we saw several 
blue-coats and as all eyes seemed to be on us we boldly steered our 
craft to the nearest point to the crowd, tied up and v/alked into the 
middle of them in front of the store and addressing the man that 
looked most like a merchant we asked him how far from town Mr. 
Smith lived. He said, 'Which? Squire Smith?" We said 'Tes," and 
he looked south and said it was nearly four miles. After getting 
directions, we did not tarry long enough to be questioned. We 
learned afterward that Squire Smith was a recruiting officer at that 
time. Our desire to see "Esquire Smith," or having any previous 
knowledge of any such person, was all a hoax; believing that there 
were Smiths in every neighborhood, we only wanted a. pretext to get 
out of town .and away from those bluecoats without arousing any 
suspicion in their minds as to what we really were. For this reason 
we played Yankees and asked questions so fast that it gave them 
no opportunity to quiz us, and as Esquire Smith lived south of the 
town it suited our purpose to leave in that direction. When we 
were less than a mile from Waverly we were overtaken by a young 
Mr. Armstrong, who asked us a great many questions as to our 
homes, occupations, destination, and even politics. I was a Douglas 
Democrat. He said he had no use for Stephen A. Douglas or any 
of his followers. Then I told him my friend here was a Lincolnite 



ESCAPE FROM CAMP MORTON- 399 

and a black enough one to suit him no doubt, and that it was as 
much as I could do to stand him, although we were raised together. 
Armstrong said that was worse and more than he could stand, that 
he was a Breckinridge Democrat and did not care who knew it. So 
we were getting into a pretty warm argument when we came to the 
forks of the road neither of which ran south, the direction we 
wanted to travel; so we asked him which road went to Esquire 
Smith's and he told us the left hand and that we could not get to 
Smith's until in the night. We asked him then where would be a 
house on the road that we could likely get to stay for the night. He 
said his father lived about one mile further on, and that he some- 
times took in travelers, but if we were what we said we were 
politically, he did not think he would let us stay. However, we 
might try him, but to him he did not think we talked at all like 
Northern people. This we did not argue with him, but bade him 
good-bye after he had given us the direction to his father's farm. 
We were not long in reaching the senior Henry Armstrong's. The 
old gentleman was standing under the shed of the farm work-shop 
which we came to before we got to his residence, a white frame 
cottage. We stopped and asked him if he could or would take 
care of us till morning. He said 'That depends on who you are. 
My son told me a long story about you a few minutes ago and said 
he was in Waverly and that you came down White, etc. Now, 
young men, I have made up my mind from what my son told me 
about you and what I hear and see tKat you are Southern soldiers 
escaping from Camp Morton. If I am right in my conjectures, that's 
my home and you will be at home there as long as you think it is- 
safe to remain. If you are what you told my son you were, you 
can go on. I have to feed the stock, it's getting late and I only 
waited here to see you, so goodbye," and he turned and went on, 
my comrade insisting that it was only a trap to catch us, but by the 
time we got opposite the house I persuaded him to take the chances 
with me and we walked right into the house. And such a fire as was 
roaring on that family hearth, I would like to see once more and 
the big fat biscuits and cofite, steak and brown gravy. We were 
still wet and our heels and toes blistered. As soon as the old gen- 
tleman and his son came in, he asked the wife and mother ta 
give us dry clothes, which they did from tip to toe. I thought 
we would never get done rolling up those breeches' legs; they 
were about thirty-six or thirty-eight inch legs and we wore thirty 



400 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

and thirty-one, but they were warm and dry and after a good 
supper the senior Henry Armstrong said he wanted to hear us 
talk some, but ah, how sleepy we were; we could hardly hold our 
eyes open half an hour after supper. Besides the family at home, 
composed of five or six, there was a Jew whom I did not fancy 
much, on account of his talking so much and asking so many ques- 
rions; and the old gentleman noticed it and said to us, ''I am a 
native of Virginia, my wife is also and so is my oldest son; this 
^tw is a peddler and has been making this his home for several 
years; in fact ever since he came to this country and you need not 
be afraid of him; tell us who you are and where you are from and 
what State troops 3^ou belong to, and then you may go to bed, and 
to-morrow is Sunday and you must put it all in telling us about 
the South, 3^our escape, etc." 

We complied with his demands and then went to bed, the first 
feather-bed we had touched since we had joined the army. Such 
a night's sleep! We did not (it's stnange to say) even dream of 
home or Yanks. Next morning for breakfast we had more real 
coffee, biscuit and some of the best sausage with gravy I had tasted 
up to that time in my life. It quit raining about noon, Sunday, 
but the creeks were overflowed so we could not cross them if 
we had been so disposed. We remained with the family and the 
Jtw until after noon, Monday, spent a very pleasant time, bought 
a lot of receipts from the Jew, a few of them I remember now. 
Receipts for rats and mice extermination, one for each for making 
red and blue ink, one bottle Perry Davis' painkiller, one bottle 
cherry-bark bitters and twelve small one-fourth ounce phials. In 
these we put our painkiller and cherry-bark bitters, labeling each 
with Latin technicals. And as I had so often heard my father. Dr. 
Abram B. Owen, of Hopkins county, Kentucky, prescribe for 
people and tell them more about how they felt than they could 
tell themselves, I knew pretty well the lick it was done with, and 
1 was going to make my knowledge in this line do us a good 
turn in hours of extremity, as we had but little money left after 
getting our outfit of clothes, and this Jew was the- exception to 
the rule; and as he did not offer to knock off anything, we did 
not ask it, for we were glad to get his advice. He told us that 
we could not travel far through that State without some occu- 
pation or trade. If it was horse or cow hunting we must have a 
rope, and he gave us this parting shot, that with all our safe- 



ESCAPE FROM CAMP MORTON^ 401 

:guards we would get caught any way and taken back to Camp 
Morton or hung most likely. Mr. Armstrong sent us on horses 

twenty miles or thereabouts, Monday afternoon, the of April, 

4862, and wished us much success after the war with the inde- 
pendence of the South gained. We left Mrs. Armstrong and the small 
children in tears; "God bless them" has been my prayer often 
since and is to-night, this November 25, 1900. After this ride we 
footed every step of the way to Evansville, Indiana, passing through 
Johnson, Morgan, Monroe, Green, Martin, Daviess, Pike, Warrick, 
A^anderburg counties. We rested every night where there were Union 
■soldiers at home on furlough, some wounded, some sick, some had 
just joined, some had their uniforms and were getting ready to 
go to the front. I practiced medicine on some of them, had 
many funny experiences, and paid every night's lodging with our 
wares through the State of Indiana. 

We crossed one stream on the old Erie canal aqueduct at 
Pittsburg, Indiana, and walked the tow path to Evansville, In- 
diana. When we reached the wharf at Evansville we found the 
steamer Storm, Captain Drinkwater, nearly ready to' leave for 
Green river and all way-points, loaded from hurricane to boiler 
deck with Union soldiers, destination, Calhoun, Kentucky, where 
there was quite an army in camp of instruction. We were threat- 
ened with trouble at the wharf as there was a strong guard of 
soldiers with an officer to examine and see that no one left the 
city on the boat that did not have a pass from Major Robinson, 
the provost marshal of the city. I learned this much quick, and 
we made no attempt tO' get through the line but stood near and 
were apparently disinterested spectators until we heard the mate 
say to the captain that he would have to coal as there would be no 
certainty of getting any at Spottsville, as they heard there were 
rebels in the town that day. The mate with a lot of deck-hands 
■(all white) started up the river to some coal barges. We fell in 
with them while a part of the soldiers followed and surrounded the 
barge that we were on by this time, and the first coal box filled 
Carlisle and I ' toted ' on to the boat, emptied it, threw the box 
down behind the boiler where we saw some empties, and both 
walked up into the cabin which seemed to be occupied by Union 
officers, most of whom were playing cards. We went immediately 
to the office paid our fare to Ashbyburg, Kentucky, and went to 
our stateroom and to bed without supper. We slept well the early 



402 THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 

part of the night, but the latter half we did not close our eyes.- 
We were in such a fever to get off that boat that the minutes 
seemed hours, and hours seemed months. Just as daylight came 
the clerk knocked on our stateroom and called, " Ashbyburg," and 
by the time the plank was on the bank, two young "Johnnies" 
were on the top of the plank just over the top of the river bank. 
We met Providence Mounts, the steamboat agent, who was a 
Union man and knew us both, and you bet this was a trying 
moment, for he recognized us and was so surprised that he could 
not articulate a word for a moment; but offered each of us a hand, 
which we grasped quick and drew his arms in each of ours, one 
of us on each side, and we walked him, or rather dragged him 
behind the nearest house on the bank, the boat puffing off well 
in the meanwhile, when Mounts suddenly recovered his senses 
somewhat, and said he must go to the boat to pay some freight 
bill; this we told him he could attend to on her down trip. By this 
time he saw the point and said he would not report us for anything 
in the world. We told him we knew he would not, for the 
reason that we were not going to give him a chance, explaining 
after the boat and Yanks were all out of sight, that we had walked 
too far and risked our lives and health too much on that little trip 
to take even a little chance of being recaptured when we were then 
within fourteen miles of mother and home, which we reached 
without farther adventure that afternoon. There were many 
little incidents that occurred along this trip from Camp Morton,. 
Indiana, to Hopkins county, Kentucky, where my parents lived on 
a farm twelve miles distant from Madisonville, Kentucky, my 
native town. My father had retired from the practice of his pro- 
fession several years prior to this. 

One incident that seems more ludicrous than any other, I will 
relate. At a point in Johnson county, Indiana, I think it was, 
we stopped for the night at a farm house. The old man said if 
we could put up with his fare he would keep the two of us for 
one dollar and fifty cents. When he took us right into his 
family room the first thing we saw was a Yank with his arm in 
a sling, so we soon learned there was no danger from him in the 
present if there were no well ones around. 

Turning to the other side I saw a middle-aged woman in bed, 
but she did not look sick a bit to me; but to keep from being 
questioned I commenced asking questions as to her troubles from 



ESCAPE FROM CAMP MORTON. 403 

the old man who seemed to want to do all the talking. I learned 
that his wife had been all the doctors' care in that section for about 
a year or near about it, and he related what he had paid each, the 
aggregate running up into the hundreds. I thought I saw a chance 
to make our night's lodging, so 1 commenced work by asking all 
the symptoms from the beginning and what each doctor had said 
and done, .and all along I made suggestions as to how she felt and 
the effect each doctor's medicine had produced, giving each, save 
one, a " cut." The old family doctor was quite old and had offi- 
ciated at the birth of each of their children and had just died a short 
time before. 1 bragged on his mettiods and told them that if 
they had stuck to him all the way through he would have cured 
her finally, that the dark drops that he gave her and the liniment 
he prescribed, with one more addition, would have cured her in a 
month. I made up my mind that her trouble was more of the 
mind than anything else, and I told the old man that I could save 
his wife and have her well in less than a month, 1 knew, and that 
I had a medicine with me that I knew would cure her if she would 
try it according to directions. The old man said they had agreed 
between them that they would not spend any more money on the 
doctors. I then told him that if he would try my medicine that 
night I would guarantee that his wife could stand on her feet 
in the morning, a thing she had not done for months past, and 
if I did not cure her sound and well in a month I would quit the 
practice and say I was no docton He then asked if this was not 
some trick to get his money, and said if I would want no money 
for the medicine — that there would be some catch in it, some way. 
At this point I told him I would take the cure on the insurance 
pirn, furnish all the medicine free that was necessary, and that his 
wife would say she was well and I would not ask for one cent until 
even her neighbors said she was well and able to attend to all her 
duties as she used to do. At this point the old lady said," Old man, 
I believe the young doctor can cure me." We then and there 
agreed upon a price upon the aforesaid conditions. After supper 
I got my medicines, one bottle I gave to the husband of the 
patient and told him to put the contents in a quart of hot water and 
to keep it on the warm embers and to rub his wife with a woolen 
rag saturated with the medicine every hour, commencing on the 
muscles of the back and hips and to continue this on down to the 
.ankles and especially the bottom of the feet, and stipulated that 



404 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

each rubbing should not be less than twenty minutes at a time. 
After careful directions to him I turned to the old lady and called 
her attention to how small a quantity of medicine it tcx>k to do 
good if it was only the right kind, telling her that I did not care 
especially for her husband's one hundred dollars, but I wanted to 
convince him that man did not have to be seventy-five or one 
hundred years old before he could have some sense, and that 1 
knew she would be able to stand alone by breakfast though she 
would be a little dizzy-headed. After this we retired to our bed 
\\'hich was in an adjoining room and slept until near morning. 
We heard the old lady cry out, '•' Old man, you are rubbing the 
skin off, you are." '' Well, you know the doctor said I must rub 
it in well and you must have the quart of medicine rubbed in by 
morning and it is nearly all gone now." To make a long story 
short, to my great delight the old lady stood up that morning and 
blessed God that she was well, but she was all but skinned. The 
old man said he was not satisfied with her being well, but that 
he had more faith in me now than he thought he would ever have 
in any doctor — ^that I was nothing but a young upstart of a quack 
when I started talking about curing the old woman in a month. I 
told him that it would take three more bottles of the medicine to 
cure her sound and well and 1 would send it to him by mail as 
soon as I got to Evansville; that I had but one left with me. He 
said he must have that, and I told him I could not let him have it, 
and he wanted to know why. Then I told him that I thought I 
might have an opportunity of getting a similar case on my way 
home, and another one hundred dollars; tliat he would not have 
to give her another application for seven da}'s and by that time he 
would have the three bottles due him. He asked me how I sold 
it by the bottle, and I told him five dollars, so he off'ered me five 
for this last bottle ; I declined it, telling him I was honest and had 
contracted to supply him with all the medicine free of cost, and I 
^\'ould do it, but for the reason given could not let him have this. 
He then asked me to let him see the medicine, that he had so 
little confidence in it the night before that he did not even read tlie 
name on the bottle till this morning and only knew it was dark in 
color. So I handed him over my last one-fourth ounce phial of 
cherry-bark bitters for his inspection. He asked me if it was 
poison to taste it and would it hurt him to taste it. I told him 
that in some rare cases I gave it internally. He looked at it, smelt 



ESCAPE FROM CAMP MORTON^ 405^ 

it, and tasted it, and compared it with the label of the bottle he 
had used, then shoved a five dollar bill into my hand and said I 
need only send him two bottles instead of three. I remonstrated 
with him but with no effect; he said he had the medicine and 1 
had the money, and that was the end of it. Then 1 pulled the 
same bill only rolled in a different shape and asked him to take out 
our bill for the night and he would not have a single cent. He 
knew the woman would get down again if he charged me anything, 
and thus we left him with a promise to return at the end of the 
month for my one hundred dollars, and the stingy old badger 
said, ''Ninety-five you mean, you've already got five dollars," 1 
told iiim, however, that was all right. Soon after reaching my 
Kentucky home. Colonel Adam R. Johnson and Lieutenant Colonel 
Robert M. Martin came to my father's house with a commission 
from the C. S. A., to raise a regiment of cavalry, and I joined them, 
and we raised the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, C. S. A., which I 
served with till the close of the war. 

The Breckinridge Guards, the first company made up by 
General Johnson in Kentucky, in 1862, was the foundation of the 
Tenth Kentucky Partisan Rangers. Adam R. Johnson, captain; 
Robert M. Martin, first lieutenant; Frank Amplias Owen, second 
lieutenant; Felix Eakin, third lieutenant. 

The men that went to Newburg, Indiana, were in this first 
company; most of them became members later of Captain L. D. 
Fisher's Company B. However, several other companies were 
blessed with a part of them, nearly all of them becoming officers 
of some kind in the other companies. 

When the regiment was partially made up it was officered by 
Adam R. Johnson, colonel; Robert M. Martin, lieutenant colonel, 
and F. Amplias Owen, major, without commission, and I was so 
reco'gnized; but when the regiment was fully organized, Rev. Scobey, 
a man of age and great mental as well as physical power, defeated 
me for major, and I was made adjutant, and later captured and 
taken to Camp Chase, and stayed three months or less, during which 
time I messed with Lieutenant Shane, of Nashville, Captain McLean, 
of Nashville, and Lieutenant Clarence Prentice, of Louisville, Ken- 
lucky, whose father, George D. Prentice, of the Louisville Journal, 
supplied our table with all the good things the market afforded. I 
was exchanged at City Point, Virginia. 

During my absence Lieutenant Phil, Jones was appointed ad- 



406 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

jutant; after he was captured, I again filled his place for a time 
and during my furlough in which I visited my old regiment at 
Grovesport, Mississippi, Lieutenant Oscar L. Barbour was appointed 
adjutant and served in this capacity till the Ohio raid. Further 
than this I am not informed, as I was captured on July 26, 1863, 
with General John H. Morgan in Ohio. 

General Morgan put me in command of the remnant of the Tenth 
Kentucky Cavalry as soon as we were safe out of sight of the forces 
of Generals Hobson and Shackelford at Cheshire, Ohio, and I com- 
manded that squad of men with great pride, and General Morgan 
said, with ability, in evidence of which he said he would add an- 
other bar to my collar on account of the manner in which we took 
care of the rear, especially at the Woodman Taylor farm. The 
last night of the raid the Yanks captured two of my best soldiers, 
Merce and Crow Johnson, who were on picket. The Yanks 
coming into the road through a narrow lane near the picket base, 
after firing one volley into my men lying flat on the ground, 
ran out the main road, taking in the two Johnson brothers. The 
third brother, William Allen Johnson, and William Gradey (now 
a large farmer on Diamond Island, in Henderson county) stood by 
me and fought with bravery worth recording here. 

Some of the boys ran away but returned in a very short time, 
but the Yanks had also gone. While there was no blood shed, 
so far as I knew, it looked right scary, for the blaze of fire 
from the Yankee's guns seemed to reach us as we were all sound 
asleep, and as you may well suppose, I did not blame the boys 
much. However, the three that remained kept their courage up 
by shooting in the direction of the enemy, but we felt awful 
lonesome for about three to five minutes till the other boys got 
their bearing properly adjusted. Not one of them ever flickered 
for a moment after that. Most of them have now answered the 
long roll, and are resting peacefully, I trust, on the other shore. 

On the afternoon of this same twenty-sixth of July, General 
Morgan captured a militia colonel or captain, or a captain who was 
in the regular service, who was at home on a furlough, and who 
had command of the militia in our front and on our flanks. My 
information at the time was that General Morgan flattered this, 
militia colonel and surrendered to him on the condition that he 
would stop his men from firing on us from the hill on our left 
and not delay us any longer. When we came into contact with 



ESCAPE FROM CAMP MORTON. 407 

this larger force of militia-men, we were out of ammunition, the 
main body having given what they had to the rear squad, as they 
called for it, from time to time, along the way after leaving Cheshire, 
Ohio. General Morgan's great anxiety was to get to this ford 
before Shackelford's force, which was then traveling a parallel road. 
We had seen the long line of dust on our right and would have 
beaten them had it not been for the delay the militia caused us. I 
know this, that after the above described capture of the colonel 
and a short parley, the colonel went forward with some of 
our men and a flag of truce up at both ends of our column of not 
over two hundred and fifty to three hundred men. We were 
then running for dear life with empty guns as well as empty 
stomachs, but alas, the mountain made a bend to the right and ran us 
right into the arms of Shackelford's parallel force. They wheeled 
their column into line not a hundred yards ahead of us where their 
road intersected ours. I heard that Shackelford and Hobson and 
their men made much sport of the gallant militia colonel, and I 
am sorry that he did not contend for his rights before the War 
Department, for Shackelford's force would never have captured us 
on Ohio soil had it not been for this force of militia under command 
of this captain or colonel. 

He wrote to me several years since but I have for the moment 
forgotten his name, though I have his letters yet with my war 
papers. 



PRISON LIFE AT CAMP DOUGLAS. 

BY T. B. CLORE, TENTH KENTUCKY CAVALRY. 

While many have written of the inhuman treatment of the 
Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas, Chicago, they have not 
related by a large majority all the terrible cruelties they were sub- 
jected to. I shall here relate some incidents that occurred in 1864, 
and which I have never seen in print. 

Upon a winter night, while lying in my bunk, I heard a noise in 
the barracks just back of the one in which I was sleeping. The 
head of my rude bed being close to the side of a window, I looked 
out and saw our men coming out with a rush and one of the 
patrol guards cursing and rushing them. In a case of this kind 
it was usual for all the men to try and get out first as the last 
one would get thumped on the head with -a club such as the guards 
carried, it being part of their outfit, including two revolvers. After 
all had gotten out of the barracks, they were ordered to form a line 
and remain there until the guard returned. He was gone but a few 
minutes when he returned with two more guards. Our men, 
many -of them boys, were again ordered to form a line. / The 
weather was bitter cold and the ground covered with snow and 
ice, but these gallant Confederate soldiers were compelled at the 
muzzle of a revolver, to partly undress and sit in a half-naked 
condition upon this frozen ground with its sheet of ice and snow. 
One of the guards stood at the head of the line while the others 
stood in the rear of the column and discovered that some of the mis- 
erable fellows had pulled their coat tails down for partial protection 
to their nudity from the awful contact with the cold earth. Every 
one that was detected was mercilessly kicked in the back with the 




SERGEANT T. B. CLORE, 
Co. C, ICthKy., P. R. 



PRISON LIFE. 4)9 

heavy shoes of the brutal guards. After having them sit thus 
from ten to fifteen mhiutes, which must have seemed an hour to 
these luckless heroes, one of the brutes said, "Now, God damn 
you, I guess you have had enough, haven't you ? " One of the 
boys allowed his pride to get the better of him and talked back, 
though he said nothing that the Yankee should have gotten angry 
at, but the fiend in human shape made him keep his painful, ag- 
onizing seat, and after giving all the rest a round of cursing, he 
allowed them to go back to their barracks but kept the unfortunate 
one there for a half hour longer. There were so many thousand 
men in that prison, and such diabolical deeds were perpetrated 
that I could not follow up all the cases, but one should not have 
been surprised to hear that all treated as these I have mentioned 
died with pneumonia or pleurisy. 

The next day I learned the cause of this devilish punishment of 
these hundred and fifty Confederate soldiers. One of them had 
thoughtlessly spit upon the floor and for this petty act all of them 
wtrt made to suffer. Some of those guards would have rivaled the 
Comanche Indians in their brutality. I have known them to be 
passing along at the dead hour of the night and just for downright 
meanness fire into the barracks where we were asleep. As a 
protection many of us nailed a board across the head of our bunks 
and filled in between that and the outside boards with earth and 
stones. Mort Quincy was one of the cooks for part of the time 
and slept in the kitchen. He had a fifty gallon kettle that he 
cooked in, and one night one of the guards shot in at him, the 
ball striking the iron kettle and glancing off went clear around the 
room, but luckily did not hit him. 

At one time, a few men, nine in number, concluded to try and 
make their escape from this hell on earth, and for genuine bravery 
and true grit their attempt has perhaps never been excelled. The 
crowd was composed of Henry Gilchrist, Charlie Eden, Hamp 

Jones, Chase, and others whose names I have forgotten. 

The day before the night on which they were to make their strike 
for liberty, one of them came to me and asked me if I would 
not join them. After I had listened to all their plans I promised 
to go with them, but later in the day I decided that the odds 
Y/ere too great against us and withdrew from the doubtful enter- 
prise. They had selected a wide plank in the prison fence that 
they would cut through. This fence was twelve or fifteen feet 



4iO THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

high with a gangway all around about three of four feet from the 
top, and day and night guards walked this and kept a sharp lookout 
over the yard. On the inside there were posts with lamps with 
reflectors on them and a bright light was thrown from one lamp 
to another. These posts were about six feet high. The time 
set for the charge was about nine p. m. Charlie Eden and Frank 
Jones were to lead in the desperate attempt. They were to 
advance together and throw a blanket over the lamp nearest to the 
wide plank, while Jones was to cut the plank with a dull old ax 
he had found. Their only arms were this old ax and pocketsful 
of brick bats. All of them collected in a barrack nearest to the point 
of attack, and at the appointed time made a rush for the fence. 
Eden threw the blanket over the lamp so as to partially obscure 
them from the sight of the guards, and Jones went to work with 
his ax, while the other stopped a few feet from the fence and 
began stoning the sentinel. One was knocked off his elevated 
station but the others fired upon the assaulting party. The rest 
of the ptarol guards rushed from their house and fired upon these 
poor fellows while they ran between them and their barracks. 
Unfortunately, it was found that the plank they were trying to cut 
through was nailed to a big post instead of the parallel girders and 
did not readily yield to Jones' blows. Seeing that they would 
be killed before their sturdy axman could make an opening for 
them to pass through, they turned upon the guards who were firing 
from behind and fighting desperately, succeeded in putting all of 
them to flight toward the prison gates, not once stopping tO' use 
their clubs or pistols. Of course this raised a general alarm, and 
it was amusing to see these cruel bullies in their mad race pursued 
by this handful of half-starved, ragged Confederates with their 
weapons of stone. One company came close by my window 
and peeping out I could see and hear them. The captain was 
giving orders in a very low, quivering voice, ''Close up, boys, 
close up ; steady, steady, now close up." 

Seeing that effort was hopeless, the strikers for freedom ran to 
their barracks and hastily undressed and jumped into their bunks. 
Warner Scroggins, now living in Louisville, Kentucky, and S. B. 
Withers, of Sturgis, same State, had occasion to be out of their 
barrack at this time on a more peaceful mission, and were near their 
door, returning, when the firing began. Not understanding what 
all this rumpus meant, they ran in and got into their bunks with 



PRISOX LIFE. 411 

all their clothes on. Their teeth chattered with the apprehension 
ct their being suspected and punished by the heartless guards. 
Their cunning availed them not, for discovered under such suspicious 
circumstances, no explanation would be listened to by the guards 
and they were marched oil' to a dungeon and confined in '•' durance^ 
vile " for thirty days and fed so scantily that they almost died of 
hunger. This dungeon was eight feet square and built directly 
over a sewer that drained all the filth of the prison. A hole had 
been cut into the floor to serve as a flue but wkich let in such an 
awful stench that it was almost impossible for human beings ta 
exist in such a place. These two innocent Southern gentlemea 
were kept in this confinement for a month, and though the guards 
told them they would give them liberty if they would divulge the 
names of the others concerned in the plot, they refused to do sa 
to the last. Finally they were released, coming out with the ta:es 
of corpses but the souls of living heroes. 

PRISON LIFE AT CAMP DOUGLAS. 

BY J. M. LYNN, BOXVILLE, KENTrCKY. 

In the winter of 1864-65, B. L. Mitchell, Henry Gilchrist, George 
Staples and Jack Porter were defeated in their efforts at digging 
a tunnel to escape from that hell on earth, Camp Douglas. Half 
starved, half frozen, cruelly beaten, and mercilessly forced to ride 
''Morgan's Mule," as painfully straddling a sharp-edged piece of 
timber, with feet dangling in the air sometimes heavily weighted, 
the unhappy prisoners were constantly contriving some means to 
get out at the great risk of being shot in the attempt, or terribly 
punished afterwards, if the effort failed. 

The Federals found the tunnel, but could not find the men who 
had the intolerable impudence to thus try to regain their precious lib- 
erty. The Kentuckians were the suspected parties, so the Tenth Ken- 
tucky and a part of the Second Kentucky Cavalry were ordered 
up near headquarters, one hundred and fifty in all, and forced to 
huddle up in a mass. The commander of the prison came out of 
his office, and instructed a corporal to demand that some one step 
over the line and tell the names of the men who had dug the 
tunnel. The corporal did so, and after waiting a minute and no 
one moving forward, he returned to the commander, reported, 
received fresh orders, and came back to within ten feet of where 



412 THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 

Sergeant Beck, and myself were standing and whispered to one of 
the armed guards near us. histantly the guard cocked his musket, 
and fired into the helpless mass of prisoners. The bullet struck 
William Coles, killing him, and the buckshot wounded Henry 
Hutchins in the groin, passing through and tearing his hip frightfully. 
His suflfering was terrible and pitiful, and he did not die till 
morning. Both had lived in Union county, Kentucky. 

Soon after the shots had been fired, the chaplain brutally re- 
marked to the commander, who had come forward with several 
of his staff, " General, that was a fine shot." We could not hear 
the reply, but all of them seemed satisfied at the results of this mur- 
derous order. 

We were then commanded to take our foully assassinated brother 
to the dead house, and the wounded one to the hospital, when it 
would have been more merciful for them to have put him out of 
his terrible agony at once. 

I would solemnly swear before any court, to the truthfulness of 
this account. Many occurrences of killing and wounding and 
beating prisoners took place there under the excuse that they had 
broken some rule, sometimes a very trivial one. The prison 
guards had the full power of killing or maltreating the prisoners in 
any way they fancied without any word from the officers, and 
tyrannically they exercised the'r unwarrantable authority. 



THE BATTLE OF BLUE'S POND. 

BY BEN". F. PERKINS. 

The battle of Blue's Pond was fought a few days after the Bell's 
.Mines Fight, between Colonel S3^pert, commanding the Confeder- 
ates, and Colonel Burgess, the Yankees. The latter was in camp at 
Morganfield when Sypert returned from Bell's Mines with forty- 
eight prisoners, whom he intended to parole in that city, but finding 
that the town had been occupied in his absence, he was com- 
pelled to go to Blue's Pond, a few miles west of Morganfield, 
where he established camp, paroled his prisoners, and sent them 
under guard north of the Ohio. The next night he sent Captain 
Gaar to annoy the Federals, declaring that as long as they stayed 
in Morganfield they should neither eat nor sleep, as he intended 
to have his guns popping by night as well as day. After spending 
two nights without sleep, the doughty Yankee colonel said he was 
going to Blue's Pond after Sypert's head. They moved out in 
that direction, and had hardly reached the outskirts of the town 
before Sypert was informed of their plans. The gallant Con- 
federate at once began preparations to give them a warm reception 
by moving his men across the pond which is about a mile long 
and very muddy, and only to be crossed in two places. Colonel 
Sypert formed his men on the north side of the pond in the 
woods, his men concealed behind trees and logs, and anxiously 
awaited the advance of the enemy. In a short time, we could hear 
the sound of moving cavalry and the orders given, and in a few 
moments a long blue line swept into the camp we had deserted a 
short time before. After a while they were convinced that we had 
vamosed and rode into the treacherous mud to water their horses. 
Their line reaching a distance of seven or eight hundred yards. At 

413 



414 THE PARTISAN RANGLRS> 

this suitable juncture our signal gun was fired and its explosion- 
seemed to simultaneously ignite our three hundred double-barreled 
shotguns. I never saw such a laughable mix-up of horses and men 
during the whole war as this bemuddled Yankee command as their 
horses reared and veered and snorted and cavorted in a wild, crazy 
effort to free themselves from the sticky mire. Here and there 
along the line some horses and riders would tumble together into 
the mud, while others would plunge, scattering the slush and slime 
all over the men. The soldiers kicked, cursed, yelled and spurred 
in vain attempt to get av/ay from the terrible rebels whom they 
had boasted about greasing and swallowing alive. But the scene 
is absolutely indescribable, defying both words and imagination to 
reproduce it, and it is not likely that any other such odd or ludi- 
crous farce was ever played upon the stage in the theater of war^, 
in all the history of this sublunary orb as the glorious and up- 
roarious battle of Blue's Pond. But " Blue's Pond " is entirely 
too prosaic a title for the scene of this contest and it is respectfully 
and most urgently suggested that the county that has the honor 
to possess such an historic treasure, petition the Legislature of Ken 
tucky to change its plebeian cognomen to the statelier, more dig- 
nified appellation of " Indigo Lake," or any other more elegant or 
majestic if not descriptive and characteristic denomination for this' 
now classic locality. 

But to return to our more immediate subject. The field was 
soon full of men and horses running in the wildest disorder through 
the woods toward Morganfield. Colonel Sypert, seeing that the 
Yankee force was at least one thousand strong, and not knowing 
how utterly demoralized they had become, "every man for him- 
self and the Devil for the hindermost," instead of rallying and 
forming again for battle as he naturally expected such a superior 
force to do, retired now to Curlew Hill instead of vigorously 
pursuing the disorganized mob, and established his camp, there 
near the famous Anvil Rock. 

The writer of the sketch, with a command of twenty men, visited 
the scene of the stampede a few days after the affair, and saw 
bodies of some twenty fine horses, seven new made graves near 
the Saul Blue home, and found four or five wounded Yankees at 
the old Blue farm. He also ascertained that some twenty-six 
Federals less severely wounded were taken away from Morganfield. 
when evacuated by the Yankees the next day. 



THE DADE HILL YANKEE STAMPEDE. 

BY BEX. F. PERKINS. 

I think it unnecessary to relate all tlie preliminary movements 
■of my single assistant and self, and shall begin with the skirmish 
itself after a few introductory remarks necessary for the proper 
understanding of the subject. General Payne, or " Butcher 
Payne," a sobriquet he had won by his many cold-blooded murders 
of Confederate prisoners, a hard-hearted villain whom even George 
D. Prentice denounced in the Louisville Journal for his numerous 
bloody crimes and fiendish outrages, had just made a raid through 
Union county, which will never be forgotten by General John- 
son's men nor the citizens in general. General Johnson had 
ordered the writer, with a single companion selected by himself, 
to go to Morganfield and find out how many men Payne had and 
in what direction they were going. 

I chose T. D. Omer and started for Morganfield and arrived there 
the next morning at daylight. The town was occupied by about 
three thousand Federals of all colors and hues, some being only 
sixty-day men. After gaining all the information that was pos- 
sible, I sent Omer back with a dispatch for General Johnson who 
was near Providence, Webster county. When Omer left, Payne 
was just moving out in the direction of Caseyville. I followed 
on a parallel country roadway, a little to the left of that which 
:he had taken. Near where the village of Gum Grove now 
stands, I met Lieutenant S. M. McKinley with six men of my own 
company and proposed to him that we ambush Payne's army at 
Dade Hill, about two miles from the place at which the said Gum 
Orove is now situated but which, at that time had no existence. 
He said he would adopt the suggestion if I would take command. 

415 



416 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

I did SO and we moved as rapidly as possible down the road until 
we reached a place opposite to Dade Hill, then we turned through 
the Calin's farm and proceeded to the top of Dade Hill with 
the intention of crossing the Caseyville road and taking position 
on the north side. When we got in sight of the road, we found 
that the Federals had already reached the top of the hill and 
halted, and were pillaging Mr. Luther Calin's house. We two 
charged up to within forty or fifty yards and opened fire. Ab- 
sorbed in their robbery, they were completely surprised and re- 
treated in great disorder into the woods without firing a gun or 
even sending a scouting party back to investigate our numbers. 
As a result of our fire, one Yankee was severely wounded and. 
three slightly, while the entire party was stampeded for several 
miles, scattering in their wake the supplies they had stolen from 
the farmers. Bacon, flour, meal, etc., were afterwards picked up 
by the wagon-load by the people living along the route they had 
traveled, and quite a number of cattle that were lost in the stam- 
pede, were subsequently recovered by their owners. 



THE OLD GRAY LEGGINS. 

An incident related to Ben. F. Perkins by Mr. John Kibby 

Mr. John Kibby, living between the present site of Gum Grove 
and Dade Hill, relates a funny little story of the war. The doughty 
General Payne had ordered Kibby's residence searched for ''con- 
cealed rebel soldiers," and, after they had examined all the rest 
of the premises in vain quest of "gray coats," Kibby suggested that 
they look in the garret so that they would feel fully satisfied that 
they had left no stone unturned. A ladder led up to a hole in 
the ceiling of a small room through which the garret had to be 
reached. One of the Yankees was ordered by an officer to ascend 
this ladder and search every corner. He ran up and stuck his head 
in the hole, and almost fell to the floor, and he scrambled down, 
his face white with fright. 'There are some guerrillas hiding up 
there," he. whispered excitedly, and flatly refused to go up again. 
The officer cursed him for his womanish cowardice and ordered 
several to go up together, believing that numbers would inspire 
confidence, but these declined to move a step upon such a perilous 
venture. The commander's face flushed with wrath at thus being 
disobeyed, and, cursing loudly, swung himself up the ladder and 
put his head in the hole. Evidently a very fearsome sight greeted 
him, for he turned loose of the ladder and fell back to the floor, his 
teeth chattering and his knees popping together. His leg caught 
under him and broke the bone, but he did not seem to mind this 
and shouted : 'They are up there, sure, and I intend to burn down 
this house and them in it." To save his property Mr. Kibby ascend- 
ed to investigate, and soon the frightened Yankees v^ere greeted with 
a shout of laughter as he appeared and threw in their midst a pair 

417 



418 



THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 



of his father's old gray leggins that had been hanging upon a rafter 
and in the half light resembled a pair of human legs. There was 
the cheapest looking set of fellows that gathered around and in- 
spected these harmless thngs, all humiliated at the thought of their 
being scared by such a small thing as a pair of leggins, but half 
excusing themselves upon the plea that they were gray. Burglars 
are often scared away by imagined footsteps of the landlord of the 
place they are trying to rob, and a kindred feeling terrified these 
house robbers who, conscious that they v/ere doing wrong, were 
made cowards and easily intimidated by going into dark places which 
their inflamed imaginations peopled with a lot of wild, murderous 
guerrillas. Thus it is with all of us when tempted to wrong-doing. 
That wonderful reader of human nature, who always hits the nail 
upon the head, has truthfully declared, — 

^Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all; 
And thus the native hue of resolution 
Is sicklied over with the pale cast of thought; 
And enterprises of great pith and moment. 
With this regard, their currents turn awry, 
And loose the name of action." 
If these Yankees .are gracious enough to accept this apology for 
their timidity, they are perfectly welcome, as the Southern people 
are wonderfully magnanimous and forgiving anyway. 



i 



LIEUTENANT JOSEPH W. BELL. 

A DARING ESCAPE. 
BY JOHN A. STEELE. 

About the first of June, 1864, General Morgan started 
from the vicinity of Abingdon, Virginia, on his last raid 
through Kentucky. His command consisted of about 1,500 
cavalry and 750 dismounted men who had joined him 
there without horses. I shall not attempt to relate the 
details and hardships 'of that march through the mountains, as it 
has doubtless left a lasting impression upon you, as it did upon me. 
Let it suffice to say that after enduring great hardships and fatigue, 
the cavalry marched into Mt. Sterling on the morning of the 8th 
of June, and after a spirited engagement captured the garrison, and 
also a large quantity of quartermaster and commissary stores. After 
sending back a number of captured wagons to haul up the exhausted 
foot men. General Morgan moved toward Winchester and Lexing- 
ton. The brave horseless men who had kept so close to the heels 
of the cavalry all the way through the mountains of Virginia and 
Kentucky reached Mt. Sterling about dark on the same day, and 
encamped just outside of the limits of the town. Weary, foot- 
sore, exhausted, they at once yielded to the already neglected de- 
mands of nature, and fell into a profound slumber from which alas, 
many of them never awakened. 

Through the criminal carelessness of the officer commanding the 
rear guard, who had but recently been assigned for duty with our 
command, before daylight on the morning of the 9th, we were 
surrounded by a vastly superior force under General Burbridge, 
which fired at close range into our camp before a single man was 

419 



420 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

awake. Completely surprised, but nothing daunted, these heroic 
men sprang from their blankets, seized their rifles and standing singly 
or in squads and groups, fought with the energy of despair. At lenglli 
under the kadership of the gallant Colonel Martin, of the Tenth Ken- 
tucky, they formed in compact mass and forced their way through 
the Federal lines, making good their retreat, the enemy being slow to 
follow. Our loss was about 300 men in killed, wounded and cap- 
tured. Among the latter were Captain Jos. W. Bell and myself. 
We were all taken to Lexington, and after being held there for two 
days were placed in box cars on the Louisville road and started for 
our prison home. The tops of the cars were lined with Federal 
soldiers; besides these, there were four to each car to guard the 
doors on the inside. They sat on e.ach side of the doors with their 
bayonets crossed. Captain Bell and myself were in the same car, 
After leaving Frankfort on our journey, Bell said to me, *'John, 1 
am going to take a nap, please wake me up before we reach La- 
grange, as I intend to leave you there." He placed a stick of 
cordwood under his head as a pillow, and was soon lost to the war 
and its wild alarms. I did not regard his request seriously, but 
when the whistle sounded for Lagrange I complied with his request 
and said playfully, "If you are determined to desert this excursion, 
1 wish you Godspeed." When the train stopped at the platform 
there was quite an assemblage to see the ''Rebels," among them a 
little boy who had ridden up and hitched his horse just in front of 
our car. The captain in command left our car and walked up and 
down with a sort of bantam-cock stride, and a look that seemed to 
say, ''Behold the conquering hero, I'm a bigger man than old 
Grant;" although I do not think he ever saw us until after our 
capture. Finally, after exhibiting us to his satisfaction, the train 
started on its way, and he ran to get aboard. Captain Bell was 
standing with his left hand resting on the jamb of the open door; 
as the freight car was in motion and the step rather a high one. Bell, 
very courteously extended his right hand to assist him ; being a power- 
ful man he easily drew him in, and just as he got him on a balance, 
with a sudden jerk he threw him against the soldier who was upon 
the right of the door and sent both sprawling to the floor, at the 
same time with a left-h.anded slap he laid the opposite soldier out as 
flat as a pancake. Then out he sprang like a catamount, and in 
a moment was on the back of the horse of the aforesaid little 
boy, and by dint of kicking and beating with his slouched hat he 



A DARING ESCAPE. 421 

forced the slow animal into a run. Every moment I expected 
to see him riddled by those upon the top of the car, but their as- 
tonishment at the daring- act was so great that not a shot was fired. 
The last I saw of him he was passing behind the courthouse 
square at full speed, with his auburn locks floating in the summer 
breeze. 

It took the doughty captain in command some time to realize 
iv'hat had happened, and when he did, he ordered the soldiers to 
shoot the first one who made a demonstration to escape, but that 
pleasure was denied them as none of us demonstrated. 

I have now written you an account in my feeble way of one of 
the most daring episodes that occurred within my knowledge 
during the Civil War, and although forty years have passed, it is 
still fresh in my mind. The subject of it, my old friend and 
comrade, big-hearted, generous, brave Joe Bell, has passed that 
dark river to which we are all rapidly approaching. As one by 
one we cross over I trust we will meet in a reunion more joyous 
than any this world can afford. 



WAR REMINISCENCES. 

BY J. S. WALLER, M. D. 

The writer of this article was born in Granville county, North 
Carolina, in February, 1846, and at the age of four years came 
with his parents to Hopkins county where they settled in a new 
home near the town of Hanson. In July, 1864, 1 enlisted in 
the Confederate army, joining Company A, Twelfth Kentucky. I 
was with General Johnson at the time he was shot and lost his 
eyesight at Grubbs' Crossroads, and was within a few paces of 
that brave man when that terrible calamity befell him. The re- 
membrance of the event will go with me to the grave. At the 
fight at Canton, I hid in a ravine near the river, after our men 
were scattered, waited for a favorable opportunity, made my 
escape and returned to Hopkins county. 

When I reached home, I procured a horse and with Captain 
Hockersmith .and others we made our way to Paris, Tennessee, 
and reported to his command. This was in September, 1864.. 
The brigade was placed under the command of General H. B. Lyon. 
The brigade consisted of Sypert's regiment, Chenoweth's, later 
Cunningham's regiment, and Owsley's battalion, in all about fifteen 
hundred men. While here we were drilled and a detail of soldiers 
was sent to Corinth, Mississippi, for arms and ammunition. 

Our first engagement of importance after we were in Tennes- 
see was when we went to Johnsonville to support General Forrest 
in an engagement with quite a large force of the enemy. For- 
tunately for the enemy and perhaps for us also, the river was 
between the contending forces. General Forrest, however, suc- 
ceeded in accomplishing his purpose, which .was the destruction of 



WAR REMINISCENCES. . 423 

a large quantity of Federal stores estimated to be worth a million 
and a half dollars. A reminder of this artillery duel can yet be 
seen at Johnsonville when the river is low, in the hulls of seven 
steamboats and three gunboats, besides some barges which lie 
lotting in the sand and water. 

After this engagement we returned to Paris, remaining there until 
about the twentieth of November, at which time General Lyon 
made his way into Kentucky, Leaving Paris with about fourteen 
hundred men, two pieces of artillery, and some ammunition, we 
crossed the Tennessee river five or six miles south of Johnsonville, 
and struck out for the Cumberland river which we crossed twelve 
miles east of Dover. At Cumberland river we destroyed quite 
a number of boats that were loaded with stores for the enemy at 
Nashville. 

After leaving the Cumberland river, General Lyon divided his 
forces, half going by the way of the Princeton and the other to Hop- 
kinsville. We reached Hcpkinsville with about five hundred men 
and were very soon engaged in a fight between the city and the 
asylum, where we were attacked by a force of about fifteen hun- 
dred men. The battle lasted about two hours, when our command 
withdrew from the field losing about forty men, most of whom 
were made prisoners. We also lost one piece of artillery. From 
Hopkinsville, we marched in a circuitous route and came to Mad- 
isonville, at which place we were joined by that part of the command 
v/hich had come by the way of Princeton. 

At Madisonville, the court house suffered the same fate that 
had befallen these temples of justice at Princeton and Hopkinsville, 
that is, it was burned down. From Madisonville, the command took 
up its march for Hartford, the county seat of Ohio county. We 
crossed Green river at Ashbyburg, and after crossing were encoun- 
tered by a force of Federals, but we kept on our way to Hartford. 
At the latter place we encountered a small force of the enemy, 
about fifty in all, but they surrendered without giving us a fight. 
From here we went to Elizabethtown, where we destroyed a stock- 
ade and near the town we derailed a train containing about three 
hundred Federal soldiers. After a slight resistance, they were 
made prisoners of war. We then went from there to Hodgenville, 
ihen to Campbellsville. At or near the latter place. General 
Burbridge came up on our rear and this had the effect to accel- 
erate our motion and gd us started in a Southern direction. 



424 ■ THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

We passed through- Columbia and Burksville, crossed the Cum- 
berland river and made our way back into Tennessee. With the 
exception of some slight annoyance in the way of bushwhackers 
A\-e had but little trouble and passed out of Tennessee into Alabama 
north of Huntsville. We again crossed the Tennessee river a few 
miles west of or below Guntersville. After crossing the river ^\'e 
went to the village of Red Hill where we encamped for a few 
days, proposing to take a needed rest, having been on the go 
continuously from the 20th day of November until this date, which 
was the l3th of January. 

The men and horses were greatly worn from their long and 
arduous travel. \'ery few if any of the men had stopped within 
doors during the whole march. The winter had been a severe 
one and the men had suffered greatly. We had lost by killed, 
wounded and desertion the main part of our command. We 
numbered now not more than four hundred men. Sypert's and 
Cunningham's regiments were depleted until there were scarcely 
enough to form a respectable company of soldiers fit for duty. 
Major Owsley's battalion ^v^s reduced to three men, one major, a 
captain and a private. * 

On the morning of the l5th of January, we were surprised by 
an attack by the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. This was at- 
tributed to a mistake in picketing. The enemy were upon us 
before we were aware of their nearness to us. The attack was 
made about four o'clock in the morning. General Lyon and his 
staff at headquarters were surrounded before they knew the enemy 
were in the country. 

Sergeant Lyon of the Federal army went to General Lyon's 
headquarters, knocked on the door, announced who he was and 
demanded a surrender. This brought on a parley and General 
Lyon asked the privilege of putting on his pantaloons. The 
request was granted, when General L3'on drew his pistol and shot 
the sergeant dead in his tracks. The live general marched out 
over the dead body of the sergeant; the staff and others followed 
and all except about forty who were made prisoners, escaped and 
made their way farther South, where they reported to General 
Forrest. 

The writer happened to be one of the forty unlucky fellows who 
was made a prisoner. I was sent North by way of Nashville, 



'WAR REMINISCEXCES. iio 

Indianapolis, and thence on to Columbus, Ohio, arriving at Camp 
Chase near Columbus on the twenty-fifth day of January, 1864. 

There were eighty-two of us Johnny Rebs in the prison at 
Columbus. Of course there were many hundreds all told, but 
of our crowd when we started, to the forty were added at other 
points forty-two more, which made the number stated. We 
remained in prison about four months, and it is useless to say 
that to us they were four long weary months. Of the eighty-two 
in our crowd, only twelve men survived and came away alive 
from that prison. The other seventy sleep in the North in a bury- 
in g-ground that is near the prison. 

There are several reasons which may be assigned for this fearful 
mortality: exposure during the cold winter, lack of proper 
food and clothing, and the rigors of the winter that we had to 
endure while away up North. 

On May the 12th, 1864, the war being over, we all took the 
oath of allegiance and pledged ourselves to support the government 
of the United States the remainder of our lives. Those of us who 
still live, are loyal to that oath, and to~day the government has no 
more loyal friends than those who fought for the cause of the 
South in the sixties. Four days after leaving Camp Chase in 
Ohio, I was at my home in old Hopkins county, where I have 
ever since lived and among the people of which county I expect 
to spend the remainder of my days, be they few or be they many. 
Within my breast rankles no hatred or ill-will to those who may 
have fought on the other side. We are now a united people, living 
under the best government over which the sun ever shone. 

THE REMINISCENCES OF BRIGADIER GENERAL SAMUEL 

WOODSON PRICE, WHILE IN COMMAND AT 

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. 

I was appointed to the command of the Twent3^-first Kentucky 
\'olunteer Infantry, the 25th of February, 1864, to fill a vacancy 
caused by the death of E. L. Dudley, of Lexington, Kentucky, 
and assumed command on the 10th of the following month. After 
I was wounded in a battle at Kennesaw Mountain June 20, 1864, 
having a sick leave of .absence, I returned to my home at Lexing- 
ton, and after being restored to health, I assumed command by the 
order of General Stephen Burbridge as commandant of the post at 
Lexing-ton, which position I held till mustered out on the 27th 
of Julv, 1865. 



426 THE PARTISAN RANk^BRS* 

During my administration the troops under burbridge captured 
a man by the name of George Owens, of Louisville, Kentucky, 
in Henry county, Kentucky, but a mere youth. He was brought 
to Lexington and put in the military prison then in my charge. 
This was near the close of the war. I went with Mrs. Owens, 
his mother, to see Burbridge and intercede for her son, George. 
He refused to give her any satisfaction. Then I advised her ta 
apply in person immediately to Mr. Lincoln. He, being a merciful 
man, wired an order to suspend the sentence of death till further 
orders. 

One day I found in my mail a letter from Owen informing me 
that Lieutenant Vance, provost marshal of Burbridge's staff, had 
selected him and four other Confederate prisoners to be sent that 
afternoon by rail to be shot in retaliation for a Union man who 
had been recently killed in that county. I, immediately, as the 
orders should have been sent to me by Burbridge to the prison, 
asked my provost marshal if such an order had been received.. 
P^eceiving a negative answer, I at once repaired to General 
Hobson's headquarters in a room above mine, and at once made 
known to him the object of my visit, which was to ascertain if 
such an order had passed through his office. Upon inquiring of 
his provost marshal I found such an order had passed through 
his office. Having no time to lose, as it was then twO' o'clock, 
and the train had left with the prisoners, I, without delay, at once: 
proceeded to Genefal Burbridge's quarters. Finding the general 
out of the city, I inquired of Vance by whose authority he had 
sent Owen off with his fellow prisoners to be executed the fol- 
lowing day. He replied by order of Burbridge. I then asked 
him if President Lincoln's telegraphic order had not been to suspend 
the execution of Owen, the response being he knew of no such 
order from the President. I had him then gO' with me to 
the adjutant general's office and make inquiries of him about 
said order, and on inquiry he said the order which was 
on file in office had not been revoked, and furnished a copy to 
Vance. As the question of veracity was in dispute between the 
two men, I was indifferent about their dispute, but wanted a 
telegraph order to recall Owen, and put the dispatch in my hands 
to be telegraphed to Colonel Bulkley, who was charged with the 
execution of the men. The provost marshal replied that that 
could not be done without it included the other four Confed- 



WAR REMINISCENCES. 



427 



erates. My reply was, "So' much the better," as there was 
no military necessity for murdering these men. They gave me 
the dispatch and 1 remained at the telegraph office till I received 
an acknowledgment of its receipt, and the next day they were all 
leturned to the prison under my charge. And after that there 
were no more men sent away from my prison to be executed by 
Burbridge. 

SAMUEL WOODSON PRICE. 



^ 



THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 

BY T. M. FREEMAN, 

In company with Captain Fowler and two lieutenants (I be- 
lieve of Colonel Clay's battalion, Giltner's brigade) I went into 
Kentucky in July, 1864. We had orders to collect all the scat- 
tered members of our commands we could find, and enlist as 
many recruits as possible, each going to the community where his 
command was raised. This was thought necessary from the 
number of Giltner's brigade which were scattered from the main 
command in our reverse at Cynthiana in June 1864, and wha 
evaded capture and got to their homes. My orders directed that 
if I thought it advisable and could do so, to pass over into South- 
ern Indiana for recruiting purposes. Lieutenant Archie Smith who 
had brought out a body of recruits had among them a half dozen 
or so from South Indiana. It was this portion of my orders that 
I considered justified me in going on to Chicago and reporting 
to Captain Tom Hines and becoming identified with the movement 
of which he had charge, so far as the Confederate Government was 
concerned. 

After parting with my comrades in Bath county I stopped at Mrs. 
Lindsay's, mother of Captain James Lindsay of our brigade. Mrs. 
Lindsay introduced me to a minister (whose name I forget), as- 
suring me he had information that she felt I should have, and 
adding that I could confer with this gentleman with perfect free- 
dom as she knew him to be trustworthy, and I could depend on all 
he told me. 

This gentleman gave me first information of the scheme of the 
*' Sons lOf Liberty" to establish a "Northwestern Confederacy,'^ 

428 




CAPT. T. M. FFEEMAN. 



/ 



\ 



THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 429 

the first overt movement toward which would be the release of the 
Confederate prisoners by the Sons of Liberty with the aid of a 
band of Confederates then in Chicago and other points under the 
orders of Captain Hines. He stated that Hines had reporting to 
him some one hundred and twenty-five men, but that he needed 
all the additional Confederate soldiers he could get. He stated 
that there was to be a general conference of the officers of the 
Sons of Liberty in Chicago on the 22d of July, 1864 
(then about a week off) at which all the details of the movement 
to be made some time in August were to be determined. He said 
Hines, as the representative of the Confederacy, would be at the 
conference. He also stated that he was informed that Hines was 
authorized by the Confederate Government to take command and 
control of the movements of all prisoners released. He urged 
upon me the necessity of Hines having with him as many old 
soldiers as possible and that I should go at once and report to 
him. He told me that he was engaged in getting as many of our 
boys as he could to go to Hines. He said, " If we succeed you 
will not need to do any recruiting in Kentucky; your boys will 
flock to the released army of Confederates in Illinois and Indiana 
at once; to help this movement to success was the quickest way to 
get all the scattered boys in Owen, Trimble and Carroll into the 
ranks again." As my orders stated that I could, if I thought it 
advisable, cross over the Ohio, I concluded to go. I went as soon 
as I could get to the railroad. I boarded the train at Kaiser's 
Station not far from Paris, Kentucky, and reported to Captain 
Hines at Chicago. This is how I became connected with . this 
movement. 

I found the information given me by the friend of Mrs. Lindsay 
correct. The conference was held at the time stated. I was 
not present but learned generally what took place and got ac- 
quainted with a number of the leading officers of the Sons of 
Liberty. I was initiated into this order (the only secret order I 
ever belonged to, except the Ku-Klux) by Judge Morris, at whose 
bouse I was concealed with Captain Hines. Before leaving 
Chicago, Colonel W. A. Boles (of Buena Vista fame) who was 
a major general in the Sons of Liberty organization, learning that 
I was in the adjutant general department of our command, stated 
to Captain Hines that he needed such an officer to assist him in 
organizing his men in Southwestern Indiana, and asked Hines to 



430 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

order me to go to Indiana with him. This Hines did, and I 
went to French Lick Springs (Colonel Boles' residence), and was 
with him constantly till after the fifteenth of August, the time 
set at the Chicago conference for the attack on the prisons. 

On leaving Chicago I carried a message from H. H. Dodd, who 
was the commander-in-chief of the Sons of Liberty for Indiana, 
to a Mr. Elliott, a leading spirit among the Sons of Liberty. I 
found Mr. Elliott to be a former Kentuckian from near Lawrence- 
burg; he knew a number of my relatives in that region. 

After he became convinced that I was a Confederate, he was 
quite communicative. He took me into the cellar or basement 
of his store — a large warehouse — and there he showed me what 
I would say was several wagon-loads of hand grenades or shells, 
which he told me were filled with Greek fire to be used in the 
attack on Camp Morton. He also showed m.e the Greek fire in 
several different sized bottles; poured some on the stone floor of 
the cellar which, after a few seconds burst into flame. He also 
took me in his buggy and we drove to the country and used 
several vials of the Greek fire, dashing it into some piles of drift- 
wood in a creek bottom, which set the piles of drift afire. He 
also drove me all around Camp Morton, which I reconnoitered 
closely, noting location of the roads and approaches to the prison, 
the entrances, location of the camp of the guard, and the battery 
of artillery bearing on the prison. Later when I finally started 
back toward Kentucky to return to the army, Mr. Elliott furnished 
me with several bottles of the Greek fire to take back, and also 
gave me the formula for making the same. (If Colonel Stod- 
dard Johnston is still living he will tell you of the report I made 
through him as acting adjutant general to General Breckinridge 
at Wytheville, on arrival in Virginia. I know he remembers about 
it, for we talked it over when he was at Fort Worth, some fifteen 
or sixteen years ago.) 

As I stated before I was with Colonel Boles till after the fifteenth 
of August. I found him a man of most sterling qualities. He 
was also a magnificent specimen of manhood, over six feet high, 
broad-shouldered, straight as an arrow, very soldierly in bearing, 
with eyes and features which bespoke the greatest firmness and 
courage. He was a man of fine attainments and wide information, 
and in all a most striking character. He was as true to the 
South as you or I, and would certainly have been in our ranks 



THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 431 

had he not believed that he could be of more service where he was. 
His wife, a New Orleans lady, was just as devoted to the South 
as was Colonel Boles. He was no mere adventurer or even an 
ordinary citizen, but a man of large wealth and as far as I could 
judge, the leading citizen of that whole section of country, and a 
man of the greatest influence throughout Southwestern Indiana. 

While I was there, daily, men (Sons of Liberty) were comings 
to the Springs, and reporting full organized companies ready for 
service at his call. I assure you I was astonished at the preparations 
he was making, -and that so perfectly and quickly. He was the 
owner and proprietor of a health resort (the French Lick Springs) . 

It was the height of the reason, the place was full of visitors, 
and in the midst of all this company, this grand old man was 
perfecting- his arrangements, had collected at various points quan- 
tities of arms and ammunition, and had two pieces of artillery 
concealed. All this I had from his own lips, and I fully believe. One 
day there appeared a stranger who excited my suspicions. You 
see I was traveling those days, as the saying is, with a halter 
around my neck ; I " kinder " sized him up for a detective, but the 
old colonel relieved my anxiety when I spoke to him about it 
Said he, " That man, Freeman, is a messenger of mine. He is 
direct from Richmond here, and I may add, direct from President 
Davis. I maintain a direct communication with Mr. Davis, in- 
dependent of the Sons of Liberty, independent of Captain Hines 
and everybody else. Mr. Davis has assured me that he hopes to 
enter Kentucky with a strong force under one of his best generals- 
in September, or maybe later, and in case our move on the prisons- 
is successful, and the Sons of Liberty rally, as expected, to the 
twenty-five or thirty thousand released Confederates, the im- 
mediate invasion of Kentucky and the capture of Louisville 
and Cincinnati by Southern troops is, I believe absolutely cer- 
tain. I have the utmost confidence in Mr. Davis's assurance." 
"But," he added, "even though the prjsoners are not released 
and the Sons of Liberty fail to meet our expectations, if a South- 
ern army appear in Kentucky this. fall, I shall cross the Ohio 
river with the men I can control, I am safe in saying several 
thouand, .and cast my lot with my Southern friends." 

This messenger left in a day or two as quickly as he came. 
Matters went on very favorably till the morning of the 11th of 
August, when Colonel Boles ordered me to take the train to 



432 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Indianapolis and report to H. H. Dodd, the commander-in-chief 
of the order for Indiana; that he (Boles) was ready to move, at 
a moment's notice, on New Albany (the point which it had been 
arranged he should attack), with five thousand men and two 
pieces of artillery. Arriving in Indianapolis about nightfall, I 
went after supper to Dodd's residence; his house was a few feet 
back from the sidewalk; I passed his parlor windows which were 
open; as I approached the front gate Dodd and two or three other 
men were in the parlor. He saw and recognized me and met me at 
the gate. Without a word he took me by the hand and led me 
back to the sidewalk. There I delivered Colonel Boles' mes- 
sage as above. Dodd replied, '-'Well, it is too late; within the 
last twenty-four hours we have been betrayed by a member of our 
order from New Albany; the government knows all our plans. 
They are rushing in reinforcements to the prison guards as rapidly 
as possible. Everything is known. \\'e are all spotted. The 
United States marshal (who is a brother-in-law of mine) is in 
my parlor now, and I expect to be arrested before he leaves the 
house." (And he was.) ''You must gd out of the city as quickly 
as possible and go back to Boles and tell him the whole plan 
must be indefinitely postponed." Next morning I returned to 
Colonel Boles. When I delivered Dodd's message to Boles he 
was the maddest man I ever saw. He swore a little, under 
provocation, and with an oath he swore that Dodd was the damnedest 
idiot on the "footstool." "The moment he found ^\^e were be- 
trayed, instead of postponing the matter he should have ordered 
the attack at once. We were better prepared than they were. He 
has thrown away the best chance we will ever have." I think 
Boles took the right view. And I believe now as he believed then, 
that we would have been successful. I know we would had 
all the Sons of Liberty had the grit and backbone of Colonel Boles. 
But, as he remarked, there were too man}^ political soldiers in 
the Sons of Liberty, and it is about as hard to make a real soldier 
out of a politician as a "silk purse out of a sow's ear." 

As a matter of course, things were at a standstill after this un- 
fortunate set-back. There was "nothing doing" at the Springs, 
and I told the old colonel \ could not see that I could be of 
any service to him in the present condition of aflfairs, and I \\'ould 
like to rejoin Captain Hines in Chicago. To this he ^onsented^ 
and I went to Chicago. I found that Hines agreed exactly with 



THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 433 

Boles as to the course Dodd should have taken. And he said, 
'' Freeman, Boles is the only soldier among the whole lot." 

I remained with Captain Hines at Judge Morris's some time, till 
finally he requested me to accompany him to Toronto, Canada, 
where he went to confer with the Confederate commissioners, 
Thompson, Clay and Holcombe. The second day after we got 
there. Captain Hines notified me I was to bear a message to 
Colonel Boles. This message I always supposed was the result 
of this conference between the commissioners and Hines, but 1 
never knew the purport of it. 

I went at once to Colonel Boles and then back to Chicago where 
I found Hines. And here I remained till the meeting of the Dem- 
ocratic convention which nominated McClellan for President. This 
was the date set for the second attempt on the prisons. 

I always supposed that the setting of this date was one of the 
results of Hines's conference with our commissioners at Toronto. 
But the enemy evidently got wind of it, and by the time the 
convention was under way, the guards ,at Camp Douglas were 
increased from fifteen hundred to ten thousand men, with artillery 
in proportion. This display had its effect upon the leaders of 
the Sons of Liberty, and the movement was again deferred. They 
then hinged their hopes upon a division they predicted in the re- 
sistance of the draft ordered for some time in September, I think. 
But the expected resistance did not occur, except possibly in New 
York and a few other places, and then everything was for the 
time being "in the air." Shortly after the Democratic conven- 
tion. Captain Hines considered it. advisable to leave Chicago. 

He went to Southern Illinois. By agreement I went to French 
Lick Springs. I soon found that Colonel Boles was beginning to 
despair of anything being done by the Sons of Liberty, and it was 
daily becoming evident that Mr. Davis could not spare any force 
to invade Kentucky though the information was that Kentucky 
would join us in force. 

I at last said to the colonel that I wanted to return to the army, 
and that I wanted to hunt up Captain Hines and get him to order 
me to return. He interposed no objection. I really think he 
had before this despaired cf anything being accomplished. I 
found Captain Hines at Wandalia, Illinois. When I expressed my 
opinion of the outlook and wish to return to Virginia, he said, 
•"Freeman, like yourself, I have no faith in anything being done. 



434 THE PARTISAN RANGERS^ 

There are too many politicians in this order; you can consider 
yourself under orders to return to your command, and I would go 
too if I could; but my orders keep me here, and I have got to 
see the thing out to the bitter end. And I really never expect 
to come out of the thing alive." 

I returned to Owen county, Kentucky, taking with me three 
young men, two of them citizens of Chicago. I soon gathered 
in the hills of old Owen about one hundred and fifty men, some- 
where about a third of whom were members of my old regiment, 
Fourth Kentucky Cavalry. With these boys I started from 
Owen, 20th of October, 1864. We captured a train on the 
Kentucky Central as we crossed it, a short distance west of 
Cynthiana; had quite a spirited little affair with the Yanks near 
Olympia or Mud Lick Springs. The enemy outnumbered us 
somewhat, and came especially to take ''us out of the wet." But 
those Fourth Kentucky Boys, with their side partners, the new 
recruits, astonished the Yanks (and me too), for they "wiped, 
the earth up with them." After about a fifteen minutes' scrap, 
there wasn't a Yank to be seen, except a bunch of prisoners who 
could not run fast enough to get away. This little affair was, I 
believe, the last combat in Kentucky. I lost some horses, but 
no men, and captured more horses than 1 lost. Reported at General 
Breckinridge's headquarters without the loss of a man; and this 
ended my connection with the Sons of Liberty and their scheme 
to establish a Northwestern Confederacy, with the released Con- 
federates as a nucleus. 

I understand that there are some who pronounce all statements 
as to the existence of the extent of this conspiracy as romance. 
Well, 1 don't much blame any one who knew little or nothing 
about the matter for so declaring. But I saw and heard enough 
from others as worthy of belief as the above mentioned doubters, 
to believe fully that had there been even half a dozen as 
military men as Colonel Boles among the leaders of the Sons of 
Liberty, the whole theater of war would have been trans- 
ferred to Ohio, hidiana and Illinois in the fall of 1864, and 
the final issue would have been a Southern, a Northwestern, and 
an Eastern Confederacy. 

In writing these statements I have mentioned the names of only 
a few persons, avoiding the use of any who might be offended 
at my taking such a liberty. Those I have mentioned I know 



THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 435 

were always proud of all they did toward helping their Southern 
friends, and will not be offended. I found also in writing the 
'.statement that it was most convenient to do so in the first person. 
I have not the slightest disposition to parade before the public any 
part I took in this matter, for it was slight, and really accidental. 

Another thing before closing. I understand it has been claimed 
that another and not Hines, was the leader, as you might say, 
of the Confederates engaged in this matter. It is difficult to 
restrain my indignation. 

When I met the minister at Mrs. Lindsay's, one of his strong 
.arguments for my going to Chicago was that the Confederates were 
to be led hy that brilliant, dashing officer. Captain Hines. Ar- 
riving in Chicago, I found it as he stated. Hines' relations with 
the Sons of Liberty and with the commissioners at Toronto, as I 
witnessed them, as well as the statements of Colonel Boles and 
■others that he was the leader, would have satisfied me on that 
point. But Captain Hines's own statement to me would alone 
have been sufficient. He told me that his orders were direct from 
President Davis; that he was sent Northwest to co-operate in every 
Avay possible with the leaders of the Sons of Liberty, and that 
he was specially commissioned to take command of any and all 
Confederate prisoners that might be released. And if I had no 
other evidence than this statement of Captain Hines, I would believe 
it in the face of a score of pretenders, who, after his death 
Tiave arisen and claimed that they, not Hines, were the leaders of 
the Confederates. 

The denouement of this affair is well known. A final effort 
•on the prisons was to have occurred the night of the presidential 
election in November, 1864. Ihe night before, the Federals 
effected the capture of every Confederate soldier, except Hines 
then in Chicago. 

Our old friend Colonel Henry St. Leger Grenfel, who was acting 
with us and had placed himself under Hines's orders, was one of 
the captured. Hines succeeded in reaching our army. Colonel 
Boles, after one or two unsuccessful attempts by the Federals, was 
finally surprised and captured by a cavalry force. 

He, with two other Indianians, Humphries and Develin, were 
tried and sentenced to be shot. H. H. Dodd escaped after arrest 
to Canada. 

Judge Morris and his noble wife, Charles Walsh, of Chicago, 



436 THE P ART I S AN RANGERS. 

and our comrade, St. Leger Grenfel, were all tried for conspiracy; 
and Captain Castleman (who was captured somewhere in Indiana). 

You know St. Leger's hard fate. Judge Morris and wife, after 
months of confinement in McLean Barracks, were released. 
Charley Walsh served six months in Camp Chase pen, with 
Boles, Humphries and Develin, who had been surprised. I am 
always averse to appearing in print on any subject, but at Gen- 
eral Johnson' urgent request, I write the above statement. I 
am ready to be qualified to every fact stated in the above, and 
were it not for the death of many, indeed a large majority of 
those familiar with the above facts and who were participants in 
them, I could establish everything as abundantly as could be re- 
quired, and by people as creditable as any in the whole country. 
I have endeavored to be as brief as possible, but even after this 
extended statement, many matters have been omitted corro- 
borative of the facts stated. If this hastily written statement is 
of interest, I do not regret the time taken writing it, but it has 
been hurriedly done. 

There were four of us boys in the Goinfederate service. 
The oldest, Colonel D. C. Freeman raised a battalion of infantry 
while Bragg was in Kentucky, and served for some time with 
General Humphrey Marshall in West Virginia, but was finally 
transferred to General Joe Johnston's army. Before the close of 
the war he was compelled from broken health to resign and go to 
Southern Alabama. 

The next oldest, Captain G. R. Freeman, commanded Company 
D, Twenty-third Texas Cavalry throughout the war. The next,, 
Captain C. T. Freeman was orderly sergeant of Company A, Terry 
Rangers (Eighth Texas) till the battle of Shiloh where he received a 
wound which disabled him for over a year. Dr. Yandell, the 
surgeon general, discharged him, saying he would never be fit for 
service again, but hje managed to get back to Texas, and about 
eighteen months after was made commissary of the Frontier Reg- 
iment, but finally he re-entered the cavalry and closed his service 
under Colonel ''Rip Ford" in our final victory on the Rio Grande. 

The youngest, the writer, joined the Second Kentucky Infantry, 
Company B, Colonel Roger Hanson's regiment. But after the 
capture of Donelson I escaped from the Yankees, and when 
the regiment was exchanged, was adjutant of Fourth Kentucky 
Cavalry (Giltner's regiment). About December, 1864, I was 



THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 437 

commanding Company A, of Major Bart. W. Jenkins' squadron of 
scouts, which position I held till the close. Went with General 
Duke to Charlotte, North Carolina, after Lee's surrender and was 
with him till, by order of the Secretary of War, General John C. 
Breckinridge, he disbanded his command at Woodstock, Georgia. 

[Note. — I have a personal acquaintance with three of these Free- 
man brothers. One of them I knew for years in the city of Austin 
as a business man. He ranked high in the estimation of all who 
knew him. The second, who lives in the Bluegrass region of Ken- 
tucky, lost an arm in the Confederate service. The third, our cor- 
respondent, I have associated with on such a familiar footing as to 
know that he needs no endorsement as a gentleman and a 
scholar.— A. R. J.] 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 

NARRATIVE OF JOSIAH B. GATHRIGHT. 
1. 

On the sixth day of July, 1863, Morgan's command was well 
started on that extraordinary ride, the Indiana and Ohio raid. I was 
then first lieutenant of Captain J. Taylor Berry's company, Colonel 
Roy S. Cluke's regiment, Johnson's Brigade, Morgan's Division of 
Cavalry. 

During the night of the above date, our regiment had reached 
Mt. Washing-ton in Bullitt county. Here our company and 
Company D, Second Kentucky Cavalry (Duke's former regiment). 
First Lieutenant George 'B. Eastin commanding, were detached 
under command of Major William J. Davis of the staff, with in- 
structions to make a detour around east of Louisville, cut com- 
munications between that city and Central Kentucky, make the 
greatest possible demonstration for our numbers to create the 
impression that the whole command was moving in that direction, 
and then to cross the Ohio where Ave could, and rejoin the command 
in Indiana. 

It was night, but when any important move was on, the command 
never halted for night, and the battalion moved on rapidly through 
Jefferson, Bullitt, Shelby, Oldham and Henry counties, every- 
where leaving the impression that we were the advance guards of 
the command. This was to mask the movement of the main 
command to Brandenburg, which point had been selected for 
crossing the river, and it effectually deceived the enemy, as events 
hereafter related will show. 

We visited Simpsonville, Shelbyville, Eminence, Smithfield, 




LIEUT. JOS. B. GATHRIGHT, 



i 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID^ 439 

Jericho and Sligo, and approached Vvestport on the Ohio with the 
view of crossing there, but we found that the enemy had antic- 
ipated us and had taken away or destroyed all craft of every sort. 
As the enemy's gunboats were encountered by us, as hereafter 
related, and the crossing of the main command at Brandenburg 
was not interfered with by them, we had evidently created the de- 
sired impression that the command itself was moving around 
above Louisville, and the destruction and removal of all craft along 
the river above Louisville showed apparently that the enemy was 
aware of Morgan's intention to cross the Ohio. 

In the march the detachment came within a short distance of 
my home, and of course I seized the opportunity to ride by and see 
my parents. 1 arrived there about noon, and greatly to my 
pleasure, I found quite a number of the neighbors there assembled 
for dinner. Among them were several prominent Unionists, and 
1 was gratified at this evidence that notwithstanding the great 
strain, these old neighbors were still maintaining friendly social 
relations. These seemed as glad to see me as the Southern 
sympathizers, and all were completely surprised, for we had moved 
so steadily and rapidly that none of them knew we were in this 
part of the State. 

Failing to find means for crossing at Westport, we moved 
towards Louisville, sending scouts to search for small craft along 
the river. Two small wood boats (flat-boats for carrying wood) 
were collected at the Barbour place opposite Twelve Mile Island, 
and we made a night march to that point. .■■ A few incidents of the 
night march are worth relating to show the condition of the men 
at this period of that most extraordinary ride. The last part of 
the march that night was over a " corduroy road " — a road made 
of poles cut to same length and laid close together upon the soft 
earth. Its uneven surface made the march over it very trying upon 
weary men and horses, and the noise of the hoofs clattering over 
the poles, could be heard in the stillness of night for more than 
a mile. I was in command of the rear guard on this march, and, 
though a confirmed insomniast, I went to sleep while riding at 
the head of the guard and my horse left the column and wandered 
off nearly a half mile before I was aroused by being nearly 
unhorsed by the limb of a tree. I could not have known which 
way to ride but for the noise of the tramping hoofs on the cor- 
duroy road. Riding back I found that I had crossed a pretty 



440 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

deep valley in my slumbers and when I reached my command and 
took my place at the head of the guard, I found that no one had 
noticed my involuntary absence, which meant that though 
they had kept the road, they also were practically asleep. 
Had 1 not told it, no one would have known that under military 
law I had become entitled to a court martial and a death sentence. 
Other similar incidents occurred, — a member of my company fall- 
ing from his saddle upon the road and not awaking until aroused 
by his comrades and placed in the saddle again. The command 
reached the river about daylight, and at once began to cross, one 
boat being used to ply between the Kentucky shore and the Island, 
and the other between the Island and the Indiana shore. By about 8 
o'clock all had crossed to the Island except myself and the videttes, 
'(eight in number) — which I had posted to guard all approaches dur- 
ing the crossing. Calling these in, we rode down to the river to cross; 
but just as we reached the bank, my attention was drawn to three 
suspicious-looking steamers that had just turned a bend, and were 
in full view only a short distance do^vn the river. Watching them 
intently for a few moments to determine their character, all doubt 
was dispelled by puflfs of white smoke from their decks towards the 
Indiana shore, followed by the roar of artillery, and I knew that we 
Y/ere cut off from our command. A shout from the Island revealed 
the fact that some of our men were still on the Island. I leamed 
that about thirty-five had crossed to Indiana under Major Davis, 
with Lieutenants Eastin and Hopkins. Quickly manning the boat, we 
succeeded in making two turns to the island and back, but on the last 
turn the boat narrowly escaped shots from the gunboats, which were 
rapidly moving up, and further attempt at rescue would have been 
folly. The rescue of the men being the chief object, the boat was on 
each trip loaded with them to its full capacity, and this meant the 
abandonment of horses, arms and accoutrements of every kind. 
From some cause unknown to me, no commissioned officer was 
among those rescued, and I found myself the only commissioned 
officer, with eight men mounted and a'rmed, and thirty-four men 
without horses, arms or equipments of any kind. It was now about 
half past nine of the morning; we were only nine miles by land from 
Louisville and our presence, and perhaps our actual condition, known 
to the enemy. I at once moved the men back to a high point on 
the river hills, and, as the men belonged to different companies, pro- 
ceeded to form a temporary company organization by appointing 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID.' 441 

the requisite number of officers. Believing tliat it would be a 
fatal mistake to disclose our condition by daylight marching, I de- 
cided to proceed by night marches only, and to take the chances 
of i^maining where we were until nightfall. I sent messages to some 
residents of the vicinity, whom I knew to be friendly to our cause, 
requesting them to send in cooked food, and late in the afternoon, 
a nice old gentleman rode into our camp, bringing a bushel basket 
full of excellent food excellently prepared. We were hungry, and ate 
ravenously, but there was more than enough for us all. It was now 
growing dark and we fell into line and started on our march to the 
Confederacy, the nearest point then being Knoxville, Tennessee. 
Four of the mounted and armed men marched with me in advance, 
the thirty-four unarmed ''infantry" following,, and the other four 
mounted m^en forming the rear guard. Just as we were passing 
out of our camp, the old gentleman (Mr. Frank Snowden) who had 
so kindly and bountifully supplied us, came rushing to my side and 
informed me that one of the men was on his horse — the horse upon 
which he had brought in the good dinner. I turned back with him 
and meeting the rider, or riders rather, for there were two on the 
horse, I ordered them to dismount and give Mr. Snowden his horse. 
They began to plead earnestly to be permitted to ride the horse for 
the night at least, promising to procure another horse and turn this 
one loose to return home. Under the circumstances, I could not pos- 
sibly permit it, and told them they must give up the horse. The 
noble old man, however, could not resist their appeals, and he told 
them to ride on and turn loose his horse. But we soon found the 
task of procuring horses for the dismounted men more difficult than 
we had expected. I do not believe that nights were ever darker 
than these first few nights of our march, and the horses of the good 
Union men of that section, apparently knowing our preferences, had 
taken to the woods. We made frequent stops and sent to farms 
to get horses only to find the barns empty, and it was too dark 
either to find or catch a horse in the open fields. The men were 
almost exhausted and when a halt was made and a detail sent to a 
barn in search of horses, the remaining men would drop down in the 
fence comers and be so sound asleep by the time the detail re- 
turned, that it took some time to get them awake and started again. 
Chiefly from these causes the men who had taken Mr. Snowden's 
horse, did not turn him loose as promised, and I did not know of their 
failure to do so, until it was too late. I have always regarded this 



442 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

as about the meanest thing 1 ever knew one of Morgan's men to do, 
but the situation was a very trying one, and when 1 came to know 
this soldier, I found him to be a man of good character. On our 
first night's march we fortunately avoided an ambuscade that a com- , 
pany of home guards had prepared for us. They had taken position 
behind a church-yard fence skirting the road by which we were ex- 
pected to come from the river. They were armed with shot guns 
loaded with slugs. Had we followed the usual route that night, this 
narrative would probably never have been written, for there is no 
weapon so deadly in a close ambuscade as a shot gun loaded with 
slugs. 

On our second night's march we passed right through my father's 
farm, and near the residence, but I could not stop, for in the weary 
and demoralized condition of the men, I felt it incumbent upon me 
to be with them every moment. All the next day we were in camp 
within half a mile of the home of my sweetheart. I did not, how- 
ever, leave camp to visit her, for the same reasons given above, and 
for the further reason that the discharge of the extra duties devolved 
upon me in our situation had left me but little time to get a little 
sleep, which the long fast made absolutely necessary if I was to 
keep going. That evening we broke camp a little earlier, — in fact 
a while before sundown. We were going right through her father's 
farm and right by the house. Perhaps 1 started early with the hope 
of getting at least a glimpse of her; anyhow we started earlier than 
we had been starting. We passed along through the farm and by 
the side of the house, and then through a gate that led to the open 
in front of the house. A young lady was standing upon the front 
stile. I said to the column '''Move on," and wheeling my horse, I 
galloped up to the stile ; it was her sister. Shaking hands without dis- 
mounting, and asking and answering a few hasty and eager questions, 
in the course of which she told me that her sister had ridden over 
to a neighbor's, I was just wheeling to ride on, when I saw her com- 
ing in full gallop, for she was a good horsewoman. I rode quickly 
to meet her, and after a hasty exchange of greetings and expression 
of pleasure at this accidental meeting after so long a time, I turned 
very reluctantly and galloped away calling back to her, — 

"And steadfast keep in mind 

The soldier-boy will ne'er forget, 

The girl he left behind." 
After the war (when I had established myself in successful busi- 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 44a 

ness as a result of knowledge obtained in the discharge of special 
duties to which I was assigned in the latter part of the war, and 
which will be specially mentioned in this narrative) , this young lady 
became my wife. 

That night we re.ached a point on Salt river, near Taylors- 
ville. By this time we had succeeded in mounting all the men, 
but had found it impossible to get arms of any kind. As we were 
lying in camp each day, it was desirable to have the most 
secluded spots obtainable in each locality,, in order that our pres- 
ence and our condition should be kept from the enemy. I had 
therefore, from the beginning of the march, kept a continuous chain 
of names of those to whom I could apply for information and direc- 
tion, and so complete was this kept up that at no time during the 
march was any question asked of any one except of those who had 
been commended to me. 

The next camp was in the Chaplin Hills, of Nelson county. 
Reaching this vicinity before daylight, I halted at the house of Henry 
Russell, a fine old farmer whom I knew to be a good Southerner, 
and myself went to the door and roused him up. When he came 
to the door I told him who we were and that I wanted him to dress 
and mount his horse and guide us to the most suitable camping place 
in the vicinity, where we could escape observation. The old gentle- 
man was at once suspicious and doubtful as to our pretensions, and 
declared he was a quiet, peaceful citizen who was minding his own 
alYairs and taking no part in war matters. I tried to assure him 
that we were really Confederates, but he seemed to think it was a 
scheme of the Yankees to inveigle him into the commission of an 
overt act, and he continued to object. Seeing what was the real 
trouble with him, I said, "Mr. Russell, you can not be held account- 
able for what you are compelled to do; I order you to dress at 
once, and go with these guards to the stable. They will help you get 
mounted and see that you report to me here in the road as quickly 
as possible." This settled it, — the old gentleman soon appeared 
mounted and ready to guide us, and in great good humor. He told 
me he thought we were Yankees trying to entrap him, and he was 
delighted when he became convinced that we were genuine. He 
guided us to a delightful camping place near the Grigsby farm, 
and we and our horses were bountifully fed that day. We had also 
the pleasure of a visit from several pretty girls, not an uncommon 
and always an agreeable event. There were in this body of men. 



U^ THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

a few who evidently had never been subjected to proper or in fact 
any discipline, and others who were ambitious beyond their abili- 
ties or their deserts. 1 learned afterwards that four or five of these 
had agreed not to go out of the State, but to remain as guerrillas. 
I had no knowledge of this and heard no complaints from the 
men, and was therefore taken by surprise when the following inci- 
dent occurred : We had just broken camp on Chaplin Hills, and had 
nearly reached the public road, when one of these rode up to 
my side at the head of the column and in a somewhat insolent tone 
demanded to know my plans, saying that I had not consulted them 
about these and that many of the men were dissatisfied, and they 
must be informed as to what route I proposed to take and where 
I proposed to go. This act was so unexpected and so extraordinary, 
that I lost my self-control for a moment, and denouncing him, 1 drew 
my pistol to shoot him, but quickly recovering my equilibrium, 1 
ordered him to the rear of the column and decided to at once develop 
and discard any mutinous members of the company, knowing that 
they were only a source of weakness, and that without resorting 
to summary methods, I could not discipline them otherwise than by 
requiring good soldiers to lose much needed rest to guard the, un- 
ruly ones. So at once wheeling my horse, 1 ordered the company 
to form in a circle, and riding into the circle, made this little speech 
which I still remember almost word for word because this little 
painful incident has so often recurred to me: "Soldiers! Four days 
ago we were cut oflf at the Ohio river, only nine miles from Louis- 
ville — the enemy's headquarters. Thirty-four or five of you were 
rescued from the Island without horses, arms, or equipments of any 
kind. We have now marched more than one hundred miles through 
the enemy's lines; you are all now well-mounted, and we hate not 
lost a man. No man who is a soldier would be dissatisfied, dis- 
heartened, or disappointed after what we have accomplished. As the 
only commissioned officer left on this side of the river, it is my duty 
to command you, and to lead you back if possible to the Confederate 
lines. Under present conditions, I can not compel you to go through 
the lines against your will, and I will not further exhaust good sol- 
diers by having them stand guard over insubordinate ones. When I 
have finished speaking, I shall wheel my horse and resume the 
march and shall go through to the Confederate lines or get killed or 
captured in the attempt. All those who wish to follow me will fall 
in column behind me, but i want no man to follow me from this 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID, 445 

point who has not the courage and the sense of duty to follow me to 
the end." Then wheeling my horse I rode away, and every man 
promptly fell in line and followed. The attempt to disorganize 
and scatter the company had completely failed. 

In this connection I will state that during this march through the 
lines, quite a number of men came into our camp who stated that 
they had been wounded and left during some former Confederate in- 
road into the State, or had been "cut off" and were waiting for an 
opportunity to go through the lines. In every instance I oifered to 
take them with me, though they were without arms, but not one of 
them reported back to go with us, and I think they were all skulkers 
if not deserters. In each case I learned that they were being harbored 
by some good Southern sympathizer who thought he was doing the 
-cause good service, but was really exposing himself and his family 
to more danger than these recreants would have encountered in 
going through the lines to their commands. Perhaps it was just 
as well; for a soldier that would remain "cut off" under the condi- 
tions then existing was not worth issuing rations to. 

We continued our night marches after the same plans without 
incident worthy of note, until we reached the Cumberland river at 
Burkesville. We had crossed here on previous expeditions, but not 
at night. We managed to obtain two skiffs and getting a small 
beacon light on the other shore, we crossed the men in the skiffs, 
the horses swimming beside them. A continuance of our great good 
luck found us in due time across the Clinch river, not far from Knox- 
ville and safe within Confederate fines, and for the first time in 
more than a fortnight we felt that we could take a rest. 

In looking back over these events, it appears to me discreditable to 
the enemy that we were able to elude them and were permitted to 
march through their lines from a point on the Ohio river above 
Louisville to the vicinity of Knoxville, Tenn., and that too with so 
helpless a force. Every soldier knows that the thirty odd unarmed 
men were not only of no advantage, but were a serious source of 
weakness; in case we were attacked, those without means of re- 
sistance would at once seek safety in flight, and that would have 
^•reat tendency to confuse, demoralize, and stampede the armed men, 
and their horses as well. Indeed I can yet recall that when the 
gunboats on the Ohio opened fire, and I realized that I was cut off' 
with only my eight videttes, a feeling akin to elation came over 
me, for I felt that I could go almost anywhere with that squad, ex- 



446 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

perts in fighting or running as the occasion demanded. But after 
the rescue from the Island, and I found thirty-four unarmed and un- 
mounted men added to my little squad with no other officer and no 
organization, I realized that the situation was entirely changed, and 
that I had a task before me. Still I believe that at no time did 1 
lack confidence in our ability to gti through (although it is diifi- 
cult in looking back, to see upon what that confidence was founded) ; 
but that confidence was not felt by the most of the men, which only 
made my task greater. 

The day after crossing the Clinch river, I left the men in camp 
and rode to Knoxville and reported to General Buckner. He in- 
structed me to remain in camp where we were until further orders,, 
and in a few days he notified me that General Adam R. Johnsoa 
with a portion of Morgan's command had arrived at Morristown,. 
East Tennessee, and ordered me to report with my company tO' 
General Johnson. 

11. 

Arriving at Morristown, East Tennessee, I reported with my com- 
pany to General Adam R. Johnson, who, as before stated, had es- 
caped from Ohio with about 300 men. The camp was on the waters 
of the Nolichucky, in a productive region, and we had a good sup- 
ply of food and forage. With the exception of General Johnson 
and Lieutenant Colonel Bob Martin, there was no officer present of 
higher rank than that of captain. There was not a complete com- 
pany organization, the men present representing every regiment 
and almost every company in Morgan's command. A reorganization- 
was necessary, and two battalions were formed of those who were- 
mounted, commanded by Captains Kirkpatrick and Dortch. One- 
company was formed of all members of the 8th Kentucky, Colonel 
Cluke's Regiment, and of the 10th Kentucky, Colonel Johnson's 
Regiment, and I was as ranking officer placed in command of it. 
Most of the horses of the command were in bad condition, and many 
of the men were without horses, arms or accoutrements. 

An effort was being made in some quarters to dismount the 
command upon the plea that it would ]3e impossible to mount and 
propedy equip these men, and I regret to say that this scheme was 
abetted by one regimental officer of the command who, however, 
was not then with us. It was necessary for General Johnson to 
go to Richmond to defeat this scheme, and he succeeded in doing 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 447 

:S0, pledging his word to tlie war department that he would have 
500 mounted and equipped men ready for service within ninety days. 

Within sixty days we received orders to join General Bragg in 
North Georgia, and General Johnson reinforced him with more than 
five hundred effective cavalry. 

The march from Morristown to Bragg's army in Georgia was with- 
out incident worthy of note. About the third day after our arrival, 
-we received orders to prepare several days rations, and we knew that 
.meant that there was going to be "something doing." The next 
day we were on the march toward the enemy and the great battle 
'On the Chickamauga. 

We had been placed in Forrest's division, which suited us ex- 
.actly, and Forrest had the right wing of the advancing army. Our 
fcattalion was on the extreme right. We became engaged with 
Federal cavalry in the afternoon of the l9th of September, the 
fight beginning in a woods, and drove the enemy from this and up 
over a hill partly cleared of timber into an open field. When 1 
reached the crest of the hill with my company the enemy's cavalry 
had reformed and were apparently about to charge. They were 
just across the narrow open field, and just behind them was a line 
■of trees and undergrowth that plainly outlined the river. As soon 
as we reached the crest however, we opened fire again at pretty 
close range, and they immediately moved in column by the left and 
retreated across the river. 

Colonel Bob Martin in command, and General Forrest, both rode 
behind our lines during the fight, cheering and encouraging the men 
in gallant style. Reforming our line we also crossed the bridge, 
without resistance from the enemy, and deploying moved forward 
through the apparently endless forest. We had orders to keep in 
touch with the command on our left, but I have an impression that 
the left of our line did not faithfully carry out this instruction. When 
we had penetrated the forest for perhaps a mile, without again en- 
countering the enemy, firing was heard in our rear, and apparently 
right in the direction of the bridge over which we had just crossed. 
I was ordered by the commanding officer to take an escort and find 
out what that firing in our rear meant. Taking six of my company 
I rode, or attempted to ride back to the bridge. It was now about 
sundown, and rapidly growing dark in the dense forest. When we 
liad reached a point near the bridge, as I supposed, we heard the 
sharp cry of "Halt," very close to us, and by the dim light could 



448 THE P ARTI S AN RANGERS . 

just discover a considerable body of cavalry in front of us and not 
over 'fifty feet from us. 

Their commanding officer had the advantage of having the sunset 
behind him and could see us more plainly than we could see them, 
and they may have been at halt when we approached and could 
judge our numbers by the noise we made. He seemed, anyhow, 
to know the smallness of our squad, for he peremptorily ordered 
us to come in and surrender or be shot to pieces. I declined the- 
invitation telling him that I would do nothing of the kind. Believing, 
however, that they were Confederate cavalry, I told him I would 
send one man in to see who they were. One of my escort at once 
rode to my side and offered to go in. I said in low tones to him^ 
''Ride in and if they are Yankees, remove your hat the instant you 
discover that fact." He started and I was watching him, as closely^ 
and well as the darkness would permit, to see if he doffed his hat,, 
but before he reached the officer my escort suddenly made a lateral 
dash out through the wioods, leaving me alone in the road. I after- 
wards learned that one of the men had caught sight of the tall 
conical hat of one of the troopers in front of us, and knowing by this 
that they were Yankee cavalry, he whispered the fact to his com- 
rades, and they all made a sudden dash out through the woods to 
avoid the volley which they thought would quickly follow the dis- 
covery that we were Confederates. 

Intently watching my man I did not know the cause lof this 
stampede and, thinking it only that abundant caution which some- 
times prompts even very good soldiers to take an early start for 
safety, I remained watching his movements until he reached the offi- 
cer. He had not removed his hat and I might have been deceived,, 
but after a few words in undertone between them, the officer ia 
still more lurid terms than before, ordered me to come in at once or 
take the consequences. The undertone conversation followed by 
the peremptory order left no doubt that my man had disobeyed or- 
ders in failing to remove his hat, and that he was actually betray- 
ing me. 

I may say here that this suspicion was subsequently confirmed: 
about eighteen months after, when the war was over and I was on 
my way home, I saw this man at a stage-station in Kentucky near 
his home, and was told he had taken the oath and had been at home 
a long time. 

Putting spurs to my horse I dashed at full speed out through 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID, 449 

the woods in the direction my men had taken. No volley was fired, 
and I supposed the enemy was pursuing, but the ground in the dense 
woods was covered with dry leaves and small brush, .and the plung- 
ing of my horse through these made so much noise that I could hear 
nothing else. Riding straight ahead at about right angles to the 
road I had left, I came suddenly and unexpectedly square up against 
a tall rail fence with an open cornfield beyond. The fence was only 
about one hundred and fifty yards from the road, and practically 
parallel with it and I at once decided to make my horse take the 
fence rather than follow it in either direction. Riding straight into 
an angle of the fence, I threw myself on my horse's neck, and 
using both hands, threw off the top rails and gave him the spur. 
Rearing as if to leap the fence, my horse, a recent capture, came 
down on the fence with one foreleg on each side. I knew he was 
dead-locked, but there was nothing to do but give him the spur again, 
for there was no time for dallying. I gave it promptly and sharply, 
but his best effort only sent us rolling over into the field. 

Neither was hurt in the fall, however,, and I was instantly on 
my feet rallying my horse. He attempted to rise, but in the fall 
had thrown a leg through the bridle rein and this threw him back 
to the ground again. Not stopping to look or listen for the enemy, 
I sprang forward and quickly, though with some difficulty, releasing 
his foot from the rein, soon had him on his feet again. In the 
tumble however, the saddle had slipped back from the withers and 
turned half way down the side of the horse. Still not taking time 
to look or listen, I thrust the saddle back upon the horse and at- 
tempted to spring into it. My horse was excited, however, and 
sprang forward at the instant, with the result that the saddle turned 
and I was thrown back to the ground, dragging the saddle completely 
around under the body of the horse. 

Knowing now that the saddle could not be gotten upon the withers 
and properly secured without ungirthing it, I stopped for the first 
time to look and listen for the enemy. Not hearing any sound in 
the woods, nor seeing any one, I took off my saddle, replaced it se- 
curely, and mounting rode leisurely across the field, debating what I 
should do. On my right a narrowed part of the field extended 
about three hundred yards, and the woods which I had just left ex- 
tended all around this to a point on the opposite side, almost in 
front of me. I rode directly across to this corner of the woods, and 
when I reached it, thought I heard the tramp of horses up in the 



450 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

woods. Had the enemy circled around the field to cut me off 
or were these my own men? 

I wanted to get my men together, so dismounting, I noiselessly 
opened the fence, as well to atford an exit in case of need as an 
entrance, and rode carefully along a path that led up toward the 
top of a hill. It was now pretty dark, but when I came near the 
top of the hill I saw outlined against the sky several mounted men, 
some distance apart, sitting motionless on their horses, and appar- 
ently waiting for or watching me. And now again the question 
was, are these friends or enemies awaiting me, and how shall 1 find 
out with a chance of escape if they are enemies? I decided on a 
plan and riding still closer to them and turning my horse a half- 
wheel to the left, so that my pistol arm would be toward them and 
my horse could complete the wheel quickly, 1 called in quick, sharp 
tones, "Vincent" — the name of one of my escort. I thought this 
would disclose me to my own men, bat would have no meaning to 
the enemy. To my great relief Vincent answered, and I was again 
with my escort. But where were we? Wc had just ridden right into 
the enemy, apparently in force, right on the ground as we thought 
which our line had passed over only a little while before without 
finding any enemy. 

I decided that the best thing to do was to get my little squad 
back across the Chickamauga for the night and hunt my command 
by daylight. But the enemy we had just run into were as I thought 
right near the bridge on which we had crossed, and I had heard that 
it was diificult to ford the stream on account of its very muddy bed. 
However, from the top of the hill we were on we could see the out- 
lining trees, showing that the river was not far away, and we rode 
directly to it. The banks were low and flat on that side, but it could 
be seen that the other bank was a steep, wooded blulT. Was the 
stream fordable at this point, and could we gti up that bluflf with our 
horses? 

I decided to make the test myself, and ordering the squad to 
remain, I rode into the river and carefully made my way across, find- 
ing however that when 1 had reached the other shore my horse was 
still waist-deep in water. By climbing over his head and with the 
aid of a small tree which stood on the very brink, I succeeded in 
landing, and began to explore the bluflf. I found it thickly covered 
with small undergrowth and vines, but luckily a pig path led right 
up through the bushes at that point, and clambering up this I reached 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 451 

the terrace above the bluff and found myself in a public road. I 
could see numerous camp-fires starting up only a few hundred 
yards distant, but whose? Turning back I took my knife and 
cut away the small branches and vines overhanging the pig-path 
to enable our horses to pass up. The cliff from the water's edge 
to the terrace above was very steep, too steep for horses to climb 
it unaided, but I made up my mind to try it and ordered two men 
to cross over. My horse was still standing in the water hitched 
to the small tree mentioned above and the water was between 
three and four feet deep at the very edge. Could a horse plunge 
out of this pool and climb that acclivity ? Certainly not, 1 thought, 
unless aided; so, when the two men reached the bank I told the 
foremost one to land as 1 had done, bringing the bridle-rein over 
the horse's head, and I assisted him in doing so. Then I told 
him to aid his horse, when started, by pulling with all his strength 
on the rein with one hand while seizing limbs and bushes with the 
other, and thus to clamber up the path as fast as possible. 

Planting myself against the small tree at the margin, I ordered 
the other man to force the horse to a leap. The horse had little 
inclination to make the plunge and had to be forced to it. When 
he made the plunge, landing on his knees, with my back braced 
against the small tree, I threw myself against his hip, bracing him 
with all my strength while the man above was pulling on the 
rein with all his force. We thus prevented the horse from sliding 
or falling back into the water and enabled him to recover his limbs 
for another plunge, and the horse after a great struggle success- 
fully made the ascent. 

The same plan was followed until all the horses but my own 
had been safely landed. Each horse, however, as he sprang from 
the water had added something to the wet and slippery condition 
of the bank and thus had made the ascent more difficult; but each 
man as landed was added to the " bracers," so that each succeed- 
ing horse had one more to assist him. Meantime my own horse 
had been standing in the water hitched to the tree which I had 
been so vigorously using as a base of operations. He had been 
a close observer of all the desperate struggles of his comrades and 
the sight seemed to have somewhat unnerved him. Besides, I had 
been so busy and so well satisfied with our success with the other 
horses, that I had overlooked thi^ fact that there would be no one 
behind my horse to make him take the leap. When I unhitched 



452 THE PARTISAN RANGERS- 

him and tried to get him to do this, he would not budge. We 
had made repeated ineffectual efforts and had almost despaired of 
getting him to make the plunge without some one going into the 
deep pool, when suddenly he made the leap out of the water. Being 
taken somewhat by surprise, we did not afford him our best 
support. The result was that the horse came to the gfound several 
times, finally making the ascent, but in his violent struggles had 
left the saddle behind. The question now was where . to go. 
There were numerous campfires on our right only .a few hundred 
yards distant, but I was by no means sure that they were those of 
Confederates and I decided to wait till daylight to find my command 
Across the road was a cornfield extending up the hill as far as we 
could see by night, and beyond it to our left was a high timbered 
knob plainly outlined against the sky. 

We made our way through this field, very rocky and rough, 
to the top of this knob and camped for the night without unsaddling, 
however, or building any camp-fire. During the night one of the 
men who was sleeping close to me aroused me by shaking me, 
and whispered that there was a lot of soldiers out there, pointing 
in a certain direction. " Don't you see them right there ? " said 
he, excitedly, but in whispered tones. "No," said I, "I don't see 
anybody." "Can't you see them standing right yonder?" said he. 
Still I could not see any men in that direction, and as we were 
so high above surrounding objects that our horizon in that direction 
had the sky for a background, I could see plainly that no one 
was there and succeeded in convincing him that he had been 
dreaming. 

We were up and in the saddle early next morning trying to 
find out " where we were at." Before mounting, I sent a man to 
a fence near by, next to the open, with instructions to climb as 
high as possible and survey our surroundings. 

He reported seeing a mixed body of mounted men passing along 
a road to the south of us, part of them being in Confederate and 
part in Federal uniform. These were evidently prisoners and their 
guards, but at the distance it could not be made out which were 
the prisoners and which the guards. 

Riding down from our lofty perch and making inquiry of citizens, 
we ascertained that we were on Confederate ground and soon found 
the place where our battalion had camped the night before. They 
were already up and gone, however, and we hunted up headquarters 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID^ 453 

lo find out to what part »of the field they had been ordered. It 
would be a tedious story to tell of the many visits we made to 
different corps, division and brigade commanders to get the desired 
information, only to find after long rides that in each case when 
1 received any directions they proved incorrect. Suffice it to say 
that I spent the entire day in hard riding from one point to another 
of our lines without finding my command. 

This will ctoubtless seem strange to those who have not had 
occasion or opportunity to know the great extent of territory 
covered or operated over by two such armies ,as those that met 
at Chickamauga, and my experience will give some little idea of 
the great difficulty a commanding offiicer must encounter in keeping 
in touch with and efficiently handling even the large units of such 
ai'mies in such extensive battle-fields as this. I had ridden all 
day in vain and at night I crossed back over the Chickamauga to 
go into camp with my little squad. 

Riding a short distance up the stream, I saw a body of cavalry 
going into camp off to the right of the road, and as I was passing 
I heard the name of one of my company called aloud in the camp, 
and thus at last I stumbled upon my command. 

The battle of this day had begun early and at times the fighting 
was terrific and the rattle and roar of the guns something awful. I 
was at some time during the day on almost every part of the 
field, from our center to our right, and had an unusual opportunity 
of watching the struggle. At one time I rode apparently entirely 
:around the left wing of the enemy, having been told that Forrest 
-could be found in that direction. I did not find him nor did 
I encounter any Federals, and it seemed to me that the situation 
afforded a fine opening for a flank attack. Had Bragg known the 
situation on this flank and had thrown a good division or more on 
the flank and rear of the enemy's left wing, I believe that day's 
fight would have ended the struggle on that field. 

On this second day of the battle when the roar of the hundreds 
of cannon was something awful, and the rattle of tens and tens 
of thousands of small arms swelled through the woods into an 
uproar almiost as deafening as that of the artillery, I was passing 
by a farm-house just behind where the battle was thickest. The 
farmer's wife was standing alone in the front yard listening to 
this tumultuous uproar, the like of which, perhaps, no woman 
jiad ever before heard. She called to me and eagerly asked me how 



454-^ THE PARTISAN RANGERS 

the battle was going. When I had replied, she told me she had 
six sons and that they were all over there in the battle. Though 
showing a very earnest concern as to how the battle was going, she 
was perfectly calm and collected, and I have thought exhibited 
more nerve than any woman I have ever known. 

Only those who have heard the awful turmoil and incessant roar 
of a great battle can form any conception of the awe-inspiring 
effect of listening close at hand to such a struggle as that of the 
second day's battle of Chickamauga. Only those accustomed to 
it can feel otherwise, I imagine, than that very few of those en- 
gaged can escape in such a maelstrom of destruction. It is awe- 
inspiring to be near the crater of a Vesuvius, to hear the incessant 
hissings, rumblings, and explosions; but the noises of ten thousand 
craters in eruption would scarcely equal that of Chickamauga. 
Yet this Georgia mother, within half a mile of the thickest of the 
battle, listened earnestly but calmly to this awful uproar, as of 
hell literally turned loose on earth, though every one of her six 
sons, from her first to her youngest-born, was just over there in 
it, .and she knew that they were in it. War may said to be 
harder on women than on men, but the God of battles usually 
most mercifully spares them such ordeals as this. The battle 
was renewed the third day all along the line, our forces taking 
the initiative. 

The enemy resisted stubbornly and for the most part successfully 
during the morning, but the assaults upon them were stubbornly 
and persistently renewed until near night, when their whole line 
gave way, broken, and the greater part of it demoralized. 

The next day our battalion under Colonel Martin went on a 
scouting expedition towards Chattanooga. We drove in some of 
the enemy's cavalry and approached the city almost near enough 
to look down into it.. It was on this day that Forrest sent urgent 
messages to General Bragg begging him to move on the demor- 
alized enemy. This Bragg failed to do and lost one of the great 
opportunities of the war. 

The writer has since the war talked with many Federal officers 
and soldiers who were at Chickamauga, and in every instance they 
have said that the greater part of Rosecrans's army was a de- 
moralized and confused mob and that Chattanooga and surroundings^ 
were so congested with these remnants, stragglers, wagons, etc., that 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 455 

it would have been impossible for any order to have been -brought 
•out of this chaos had our army promptly moved against them. 

General Forrest took occasion to compliment our two battalions 
for their gallant conduct on this field; and it was no empty or 
unearned compliment, for Morgan's men promptly and effectually 
accomplished each time everything they were sent in to do. 

In his report of this battle, General Bragg explains his failure to 
follow up his advantage by stating that his supplies were greatly 
reduced and his transportation not sufficient to subsist his army at 
-any advanced position. This might have been good reason for not 
advancing against an unbeaten enemy, but the Federal army had 
been on the defense for three days of hard fighting, and had been 
finally driven from the field badly demoralized and disorganized. 

General Bragg certainly knew this and must have known the 
enormous advantage of assailing troops in that condition. Had he 
vigorously pressed the enemy on this fourth day with even half 
his army, there is every reason to believe that the Federal army 
would have been destroyed, and Bragg had more than that number 
still in condition to do good fighting. The distance was so short 
that nothing more than extraordinary effort was necessary to supply 
the advanced force from the same base that was supplying it at 
Chickamauga. The advancing force might have had to encounter 
-Severe privation for several days, but Southern soldiers always 
willingly submitted to this when something was to be accomplished 
by it. 

The fact is that the war had been almost fought to a finish before 
many of the old trained martinets of the army learned that they 
could make a move without taking headquarter-wagons and dress- 
parade suits with them. The great successes of Forrest, Morgan, 
Johnson, Duke and others, were largely achieved by discarding all 
transportation except for ammunition, taking chances of obtaining 
subsistence and putting horses and men to the utmost of their 
endurance. Morgan's command not only discarded the usual 
company-wagon used for carrying tents, cooking utensils, etc., but 
never used tents from the beginning; and, as time brought ex- 
perience, actually discarded their cooking utensils when entering 
upon any important movement. 

Neither of these successful leaders would halt a column to eat, 
sleep or rest when there was any emergency on, or when time was 
:an element of success. A soldier animated by the true spirit and 



456 THE PART I SAX RAXGERS. 

a horse of good blood may break down from long continued lack 
of food and rest, but on less than half rations of food, and with 
little rest, they will last through the period of almost any emer- 
gency and promptly recuperate when it is past. Had therefore 
the command of Bragg's army fallen to Forrest on that fourth 
day, when he was sending urgent messages to Bragg beseeching 
him to move on, there would ha^^e been no lack of any necessary 
transportation. Many army wagons might have carried loads 
the like of which they were unaccustomed to, and many farm wagons 
might have suddenly gotten into the game, but in any event the 
army would have followed promptly and relentlessly upon the heels 
of the enemy, giving them no chance to mend the morale or the 
organization of their beaten and disorganized army. 

Had this been done there is good reason to believe that their 
entire army would have been destroyed or captured; the battles 
of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge would never have been 
fought, and Sherman would never have marched to the sea. 

Soon after the battle of Chickamauga our battalion under Col- 
onel Martin was ordered into East Tennessee with General Forrest, 
and I was never again with the army of Tennessee. 

But I have heard from many of my old comrades who remained 
with that army, that the weak defense made by it at Lookout 
Mountain and Missionary Ridge was the result of loss of confi- 
dence in the commanding ofrlcer, largely caused by the failure 
to reap any advantage from the decisive victory at Chickamauga. 
Old soldiers are the most practical of men. They fight only for 
results and they will not fight tenaciously if they know in advance 
that results if achieved will be throwm away. 

Who can contemplate the spectacle of that army under Bragg 
driven from such strongholds as Lookout Mountain and AMssionary 
Ridge without serious loss to the enemy, and then under Johnston 
standing like a wall in the path of Sherman, repulsing every 
attack and never driven from any position nor abandoning any 
position except at the command of its otficers, and not realize what 
a costly curse Bragg had been to the cause of the Confederacy. 
This is meant only as a criticism not as condemnation. General 
Bragg was a fine organizer and disciplinarian, but as commander 
in the field he was an utter failure. 

As before stated our battalion went with Forrest into East Ten- 
nessee. We were camped for a time at each of the three places^ 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 457 

Cleveland, Athens and Sweetwater, finally reaching the vicinity of 
Knoxville, 

While at Cleveland I was ordered to move with my company up 
into the mountainous section toward the North Carolina line, a^nd 
■disperse a lot of bushwackers and disloyalists who were organizing 
and making trouble up there. We effectually scattered them, but 
they were so alert that we succeeded only in bringing back two 
prisoners. 

The barking of dogs revealed our approach to their rendezvous 
and enabled most of them to escape. 

Longstreet had been sent to re-capture Knoxville. This was 
another mistake. Had Bragg used his whole army against Chat- 
tanooga with reasonable promptness and vigor, its capture would 
almost certainly have been the result, and then Knoxville would 
have been ours without the .asking. But Bragg divided his forces, 
laid weak and tardy siege to two cities, giving the enemy time to 
liring from long distances sufficient force, and was defeated and 
driven away from both. 

It may seem incredible, but it is a fact that our battalion had been 
detached by Forrest from his command and sent to Longstreet, to 
circumvent a settled purpose of General Bragg to dismount iWor- 
gan's men and put them into infantry commands. Think of these 
restless and intrepid young Kentuckians, these incomparable riders, 
Avho would with enthusiasm remain a week in the saddle without 
a regular ration or an allotted moment for sleep; who could ride 
hundred of miles through the enemy's lines, and at every point be 
the first to announce their coming; think of these men being taken 
off their own horses and put in an infantry camp to die of ennui 
or of dry rot. 

Yet such was General Bragg's purpose, and it required all the 
skill and influence of General Breckinridge, General Forrest and 
General A. R. Johnson to defeat it. General Johnson about thi?. 
time made more than one visit to headquarters at Richmond to 
prevent the consummmation of this purpose. When it is remem- 
bered that General Morgan"s command furnished their own mounts 
and particularly all their equipments of every kind, and turned 
over to the government captured equipments and supplies far in 
excess of all obtained from the government; that the command at 
no time numbered more than about two thousand men, and that 
it reauired more than one-third of all the forces of the enemy 



458 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

opposin^^ Bragg to keep open their communications and protect 
their line of supplies, and that, notwithstanding this, Morgan's 
command repeatedly broke their lines of communication, destroyed 
their railroads, bridges and telegraph lines; destroyed mil- 
lions of dollars worth of their supplies, and killed, wounded and 
captured in many of its expeditions a number of the enemy greater 
than the total number of men in the command; when all this is 
borne in mind, this purpose of Bragg to dismount the command is 
wholly inexplicable. The writer believes that if complete records 
could be had, they would show that up to that period, Morgan's 
command had inflicted as much damage upon the enemy as had all 
the infantry in General Bragg's command. This is no reflection 
or criticism upon the officers and men of his command. They 
doubtless accomplished all that their opportunities permitted. But 
there is no doubt that the Southern soldier was at his best when in 
the saddle. The rapid movement, the dash, the opportunity for 
adventure, were all suited to his nature and he was equal to it all. 

General Sherman states in his memoirs that he could easily 
manage our infantry, but not (Our ubiquitous cavalry — and it may 
be said that General Sherman seldom had to deal with the best 
of our cavalry commands; with some of the very best, never at all. 

But General Bragg should have never been other than an in- 
spector general. He was as before said a martinet, a good organ- 
izer and disciplinarian, but his military capabilities ended there. 
Had the Kentucky campaign ended his career as commander, as 
it should have done, the story of the army of Tennessee would 
have been quite different. 

He much overrated the value of discipline when applied to 
Southern soldiers. These were full of confident self-reliance, ready 
for any initiative without waiting for command or asking leave; 
acknowledging no superior and calling no man master. If such 
men could be thoroughly disciplined, they would be like fine steel 
with the temper drawn. Severe repression of their Individuality 
might make orderly camps, but it would take away that *' esprit 
de meme " which, in the field is valuable next to " esprit de corps." 

When our battalion was near Knoxville, I was again sent with 
my company to capture or disperse some bushwhackers who lived 
in a rough and rocky section out towards the mountains. They 
had just fired into a squad of our men, wounding one of them. 
We rode rapidly into their section and, deploying as skirmishers, 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 459 

nK)ved over miles of rocks which overspread the whole surface of 
the ground, and were by age seamed and cross-seamed into crevices 
lined with a scrubby growth of cedar and forming natural stone 
rifle-pits perfectly impregnable if defended. We found and 
thoroughly explored a cave; searched every barn, every hay or 
fodder stack, and every thicket or forest in that locality. We 
dislodged some, capturing their abandoned outfit, but the country 
was so rough and they so familiar with it that we carried back 
only one prisoner. They might have inflicted serious damage upon 
us had they made a fight, but we thoroughly scattered them and 
gave them a scare which they did not soon forget. 

When our battalion reported to Longstreet, we were ordered into 
camp on the river several miles below Knoxville and were as- 
signed to the delectable duty of foraging for food supplies for the 
army at Knoxvill^. The boys did not relish this duty, but as 
we were an unattached battalion (orphans) we might have expected 
assignment to some such detached service. There was much rain 
at this time and our camp ground being near the river and on 
rather low, flat ground, we were exposed to much mud and damp- 
ness of feet, resulting to me in a period of bad health which 
outlasted the war. 

In the preceding July, while we were marching through Ken- 
tucky on the " Ohio raid," I stopped at my home for a brief half 
hour, and going to my room, my eyes fell upon a pair of pump- 
soled boots, such as the young men of that day wore in " society." 
For the benefit of the present, and some past generations, 1 will 
say that these boots had soles hardly as wide as the foot and 
scarcely thicker than ordinary pasteboard, while the upper leather 
covering the foot was about as thick as a good quality of writing 
paper. It was hot riding in that July sun, and I was tempted 
when I saw those light boots and cast off my heavy ones for them, 
thinking that I would be able to replace these with heavy ones 
by fall. I had not done so, and these thin boots soon went to 
pieces in the mud of our camp, resulting in the serious impairment 
of my health referred to. 

The battle of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge now 
occurred and General Bmgg fell back to Dalton, Georgia. General 
Sherman came up from Chattanooga with a strong force to relieve 
Burnside besieged in Knoxville. General Longstreet swung his army 
around to the northeast of Knoxville and our battalion was or- 



460- THE P ART IS AN RANGERS. 

dered to cross the mountains into North Carolina and thence 
proceed to General Bragg at Dalton, Georgia. 

1 1 1. 

Our battalion started on the march to Georgia by the way of 
North Carolina. This indirect route was necessary to avoid 
Sherman's army which was rapidly coming up the valley behind us. 
We were none too soon, for we passed through Marysville just in 
time to avoid being cut off by a column of Federal cavalry which 
formed the right wing of the Federal army and which was pushed 
forward rapidly, doubtless to prevent the return of any of Long 
street's force to Georgia. 

The crossing of the Great Unaka Mountains was the most pic- 
turesque and interesting ride we had during the whole war. Sq 
steep were the western inclines that the roadway was necessarily; 
laid out in zigzag fashion. Several stretches of this zigzag road 
were in view all the time and as they were only thirty to forty feet 
apart and nearly parallel, the several lines of cavalry moving in 
•alternate directions formed a pretty sight, more resembling a fancy 
drill or dance movement than a march on the road. It afforded 
much amusement to the men who were always ready to make 
the most of every opportunity, and the efforts of those in each 
line to convince those in the next line that they were going in the 
wrong direction created much merriment. 

This is a beautiful mountain section, sparsely settled, but abound- 
ing in large game, it being said to contain more wild animals than 
any other section of equal size in this country. The few dwellings 
seen were nearly all of the most primitive character and were 
nearly always located in valleys or coves that afforded sufficient 
space level enough for a building site and a small patch of tillable 
ground. Many of these homes seemed so far below the crests 
of the mountain ridges which apparently encircled them completely, 
that some of the wits of the command called for Bibles to roll down 
to the dwellers upon the supposition that the story of the cross 
had in all probability never reached them. When we had gotten 
over intO' the foothills of the mountains on the North Carolina 
side I awoke one morning to find myself ill — too ill to proceed with 
the command. Keeping with me two good men, Mark Coleman, 
of Fayette, and Dick Stonestreet of Oldham county, partly for 
protection, for there were bushwhackers throughout all this moun- 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 461 

tain section, I went to the residence of John Siler, whom I found to 
be one of nature's noblemen. He gave us a hearty welcome and 
expressed a most cordial willingness to take care of me through my 
illness. His boys were all in the Southern army, and he had 
already lost two of them. In thought and feeling he associated 
us with his boys and he could not do enough for us. He con- 
stantly talked of his lost boys and always with a tear in his eye, yet 
he maintained a cheerful demeanor, and behind his grief there 
seemed a feeling akin to exultation that while his boys were lost 
to him they died as he would have had them die. 

Believing that my illness was brought on by bad boots and 
wet feet at Knoxville, as soon as able I rode to Franklin, the 
nearest town to have a pair made. While sitting in the shoe shop, 
which was a sort of wing to the hotel of the town, a man came 
in and said to the shoemaker, " General Morgan is in the hotel." 
" What General Morgan," said I. " General John Morgan, the 
great cavalryman," he replied. Now I knew, or thought I knew, 
that our general was a prisoner in the Ohio penitentiary, and I 
jumped at once to the conclusion that here was an " old soldier '^ 
imposing on the credulity of these people for the many good things 
that would surely be his. I said to the man ''Please direct me 
to him," and I followed him into the hotel and to the parlor to 
expose the rascally impostor. Imagine my surprise when I stepped 
into the parlor and found myself in the presence of the real thing 
— our general. He was surrounded by a bevy of ladies, and was 
looking as " chipper " and gay as though he had never been in a 
penitentiary. He was almost as glad to see us as we were to 
see him free once more, for we were the first of his command, 
and in fact, the first Confederates to meet him after his arrival 
within our lines. He and his little party of escaped prisoners had 
been closely pressed by the enemy on Clinch river, near Knoxville, 
and Morgan only had escaped. He had made his way alone across 
East Tennessee and over the mountains to this town of Franklin. 
Captain Hines told the writer after the close of the war that he 
* permitted himself to be captured on. the Clinch river in order to 
divert the pursuers and aid Morgan's escape. He also told me 
that from the time their escaping party reached the Kentucky side 
of the Ohio river General Morgan persisted in letting his identity 
be known. And here I found him alone in this semi-mountainous 
section, in which were many disloyal bushwhackers, ready and willing. 



i62 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

to shoot down a soldier or citizen for his war politics or for 
anything of value, any one of whom would have risked his life 
for a shot at this great chieftain, and he was making no attempt to 
conceal but was openly making known his identity. As hereto- 
fore stated, I had been twice sent into the Tennessee portion of these 
mountain ranges to capture or scatter armed bands of disloyalists 
and bushwackers. And when I was left sick a few miles west 
of Franklin, the battalion commander directed me to keep two 
good men with me for protection. One of these Dick Stone- 
street, as good a soldier as we had, was afterward killed by a 
bushwhacker in this same range in upper East Tennessee. Yet 
here was General Morgan, whose life — or death rather — would have 
been a sweet morsel to one of these partisan murderers, and worth 
a fortune to him besides, coming alone into this dangerous section 
and openly making known his identity to every one. I mention 
these things in greater detail because they illustrate a strong char- 
acteristic of General Morgan. He did not expose his men recklessly 
even in action. I recall but one occasion when he even appeared 
to do so; that was at Green River Bridge, Kentucky, July Fourth, 
1 863, but he was careless of his personal safety, and this finally cost 
him his life. 

At this meeting at Franklin General Morgan informed me that 
he was going immediately to Richmond; that he would there 
select a point of rendezvous for the reorganization of his command 
and publish it in the Richmond papers, and he directed me to watch 
for the announcement and report at the place designated. In a 
few days I saw his announcement designating Decatur, Georgia, as 
the place of rendezvous, and with my comrades, Coleman and 
Stonestreet, I at once started for Decatur, a small town near Atlanta, 
and arrived there after three days of riding. I found General 
Adam R. Johnson there, and he had already several hundred men 
in camp with Colonel J. B. Bowles in charge of the camp. Genera 
Johnson had decided upon a reorganization and had begun to as- 
semble the remnants of the command at Decatur before General 
Morgan arrived at Richmond, so that General Morgan found that 
his plans were already being carried out. The object of General 
Johnson was to complete the work begun at Morristown, which 
had been interrupted by our orders to march to Georgia for the 
battle of Chickamauga. I expected to find our battalion already 
at Decatur and to resume the command of my company but it had 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 463 

not arrived. The men of these battalions were of course expected 
at Decatur, to be reorganized with their old comrades, but incred- 
ible as it may seem the battalion to which my company was at- 
tached, composed of many of Morgan's oldest and best soldiers, 
members of two or nlore of his old regiments, were never permitted 
to report at Decatur nor even to General Morgan again. Not 
only that, but General Bragg attempted to have officers ordered 
back to this battalion who had served with it, but who were at 
the time by proper orders serving in the old command, and under 
General Morgan himself. My own case will illustrate this and 
show the attitude of General Bragg towards General Morgan. 
When I left North Carolina and went to Decatur, Georgia, I was 
acting in strict obedience to the instructions given me at Franklin 
by General Morgan. On my arrival at Decatur I was assigned 
to duty by General Johnson as quartermaster on his staff. Whea 
cur command was transferred to Virginia I was a member of the- 
staff and went of course, acting at all times under the orders of 
my proper superior officers. Notwithstanding this, a requisition 
by General Bragg for my return to the army of Georgia came to 
our headquarters at \\ ytheville, Virginia (having been approved by 
the authorities at Richmond, who were ignorant of the facts), the 
requisition being based upon the statement that I was ''absent with- 
out leave." Our general treated the order as it deserved, simply 
ignoring it. He did not inform me of the existence of such an order 
and I only learned of it in confidence from his adjutant general. 

I have already referred to the efforts of General Bragg to have 
Morgan's command dismounted, and to the successful fight made 
by General Adam R. Johnson to prevent it; the above facts show 
General Bragg's attitude towards the command while at Decatur and 
even after General Morgan had escaped and was in command again. 
There is no doubt, however, that Johnson would have been in 
better favor with Bragg than Morgan was had he not thwarted 
Bragg's designs upon the command. Johnson was a stricter 
disciplinarian than Morgan, and Morgan was charged with disre- 
garding and disobeying some of Bragg's orders, just as did Forrest, 
who, at Chickamauga, where he led us so gallantly, was actually 
under arrest technically for refusing to report to or to be subor- 
dinated to a certain other cavalry officer. The pity is that Forrest 
was even subordinate to Bragg on that occasion. 

The refusal of General Bragg to permit the greater portion of the 



m THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

command, as reorganized and equipped at Morristown, to go to 
Decatur made the reorganization at Decatur more like a rehabilita- 
tion than a reorganization. 

The three hundred men brought out by General Johnson from 
Buffing-ton Island and the company which I had brought out from 
Twelve Mile Island formed the nucleus for the reorganization at 
Morristown; but the greater part of these were not permitted to 
come to Decatur, and the task there was thus more difficult, for the 
camp was largely composed of convalescents, escaped prisoners, 
dismounted men of all conditions, men without suitable clothing 
or equipments, and odds and ends, including not a few chronic 
never-do-wells and stragglers. The effort had once more been 
made to put these into infantry commands, but General Johnson 
had again gone to Richmond and had a second time succeeded in 
getting the authorities to permit him to try to mount and equip 
them as cavalry, the authorities declaring their inability to provide 
mounts and equipments. General Johnson went at this task 
with the same energy and self-reliance which characterized all his 
efforts. Doubtless no officer in the Confederacy was more com- 
petent to meet such an emergency than General Johnson. The 
"regulation" officer has usually exhausted his resources when he 
has made requisition upon the proper departments for equipments or 
supplies. But Johnson had been educated in a very differen 
school. His several years of border-life in Texas, surveying 
teaming and fighting Indians, had made him very resourceful and 
self-reliant. Coming into Southwestern Kentucky in 1 862 with only 
two comrades he began a series of bold operations that soon made 
a department of his own. He carried on a successful war against 
the greatly superior forces of the enemy, while constantly increasing 
his own, until he soon had over a thousand mounted and equipped 
cavalry. The equipment and maintenance of this force within 
the enemy's lines showed him to be very resourceful and had given 
him valuable experience. 

As before stated, upon my arrival .at Decatur General Johnson 
appointed me acting brigade quartermaster. He explained the 
situation and outlined his plans for equipping and mounting the men. 
I was especially charged with the duty of providing equipments. 
He instructed me to find out and detail every mechanic in the 
command, and he sent all the chaplains out through the country 
to procure materials, any and every thing needful for the men. 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID. 465 

Our headquarters were in a large vacant hotel building, affording 
plenty of room for workmen. Our first detail was of tailors, of 
whom we had several, and they were put to work on cloth obtained 
l:y the chaplains, repairing, etc.; during our brief stay here they 
did good service. 

Paul J. Marrs, of Henderson, and George W. Hunt of Lex- 
ington, were my chief assistants, and were very efficient, keeping 
our horses well supplied notwithstanding the great scarcity of 
forage in that section at the time. But my most important find 
was that of several Texas saddle-tree makers, who were skilled 
in making the Texas or Mexican styles of saddle-trees — so much 
preferred by our troopers to any other style of saddle-tree; we 
v/ere in great need of saddles. Being informed that several men 
were engaged in making and selling saddle-trees only a short dis- 
tance from Decatur, I immediately went to their place and upon 
investigation found that they were members of our command. 1 
at once took charge of them and set them to work making saddle- 
trees for the command. 

We had only gotten these undertakings started, however, when 
General Johnson received orders to proceed with the command 
io Southwest Virginia, General Morgan having decided to make 
that his base of future operations. Arriving in Southwest Virginia, 
our headquarters were first at Abingdon where we promptly re- 
newed our efforts to manufacture articles needed by the command. 
Before we had gotten fairly started, however, our headquarters 
were moved to Wytheville, and it was decided to discontinue all 
except the manufacture of horse-equipments, the need for these 
being most urgent. 

Soon after reaching Wytheville General Morgan took command, 
relieving General Johnson who had long desired this, in order that 
he might return to his department in Southwestern Kentucky and 
lesume his warfare withia the enemy's lines. At the same time 
Major Llewellyn of Morgan's staff' relieved me as brigade quarter- 
master. General Morgan complimented us for our success in our 
manufacturing enterprise, and requested me to give my entire at- 
tention to that for a time, saying that these supplies were greatly 
needed by the command and could be had in no other way. He 
made it as a request, not as an order, for he naturally thought 
it was not such an assignment as I would prefer. I told him I 
appreciated the importance of the work in the condition of the 



466 THE PARTISAN RANGERS, 

command and would willingly continue in charge, with the un- 
derstanding that he would relieve me whenever I should request 
it. Several reasons prompted me to accept willingly this assign- 
ment. I knew the needs of the command and believed, with the 
knowledge and experience already acquired, I could get quicker 
results than would any newly assigned officer and I felt a natural 
pride in seeing this undertaking accomplish its object. Besides,, 
my health was still bad, and I hoped that by avoiding exposure 
I might fully recuperate by the time my company, then in Georgia, 
should be returned to the command. Some time aft^r this when 
General Morgan was at Saltville, organizing for his last expedition 
into Kentucky, he ordered me to turn over my charge to Lieutenant 
Milton Barlow and report to him at Saltville. When I reached 
Saltville my health was such that the brigade surgeon advised 
against my going with the Kentucky expedition, and Gen. Morgan 
ordered me back to Wytheville to resume charge of that work. 

For a while previous to this Lieutenant Barlow being unassigned 
had given me voluntary assistance in the work, especially in de- 
signing and constructing some much needed machinery, for we had 
very little, and that of the most primitive sort. He was something 
of a mechanical genius, having been his father's assistant in design- 
ing the well known planetarium, which, I believe, was exhibited 
at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. 

I had no mechanical training or experience when ordered by 
General Johnson to undertake this work, but like most boys was 
naturally fond of mechanics, and my collegiate education covering 
most of the sciences, partly compensated for lack of practical 
experience, I entered into it with zeal and confidence. As we 
were thrown almost entirely upon our own resources, there was 
ample scope for the exercise of all my ingenuity and that of the 
men detailed for the work. We had all seen some years of 
cavalry service, and-next to a good horse we valued a good saddle. 
Every one of these men had his idea of what a saddle should be 
and each wanted to follow his ideal. I of course had ideas also, 
and besides was charged with the duty of seeing that all that was 
done was practical and not too elaborate or expensive. The result 
was the composite known as the ''Morgan saddle," which soon 
became famous all over the Confederacy and after the war came 
into extensive use throughout the country. 



AFTER THE GREAT RAID- 467 

About six months before Lee's surrender I was again assigned to 
quartermaster duty in the field and again turned over this work 
to Lieutenant Barlow. At that time the command was well supplied 
with horse-equipments and our wareroom at Wytheville contained 
a nice surplus available when needed. 



MRS. ADAM R. JOHNSON. 

BY COLONEL JAMES B. BOWLES. 

Josephine Eastland was bom upon the 24th day of August, 1845^ 
near Sparta, Tennessee, but moved with her parents to Texas 
when only two weeks old. She received her education at LaGrange 
and Austin, Texas, her last teacher being Mrs. Amelia Barr, the 
celebrated authoress. She was married to Adam R. Johnson at 
Burnet, Texas, January 1, 1861. 

At this period the Indians were infesting Burnet county, and 
several times she came very near falling into their hands and succeed- 
ed in eluding them only by her skillful horsemanship. 

When General Johnson came home on furlough in 1862, the 
danger in Burnet county had been increased by lawless bands of 
white men, and he concluded to take his wife east of the Mississippi^ 
where he could see her and hear from her more frequently. 

On this journey they came in contact with Banks's army near 
Alexandria, Louisiana, and were compelled to make a flank move- 
ment to evade them by crossing Red river some distance above this 
city. Upon their arrival at the Mississippi, they found it swollen 
outside its banks, and so were obliged to travel many weary miles 
through back water. They met many soldiers who assured them 
that it would be impossible to cross, but this daughter of Texas^ 
inured to continued perils all her life, was the general's compeer in 
courage and determination and almost in physical power, having al- 
ways led a healthy, active outdoor life, with constant* horseback 
exercise. So nothing daunted, they finally succeeded in reaching 
a point upon the Mississippi river, just opposite the city of Natchez. 
Just as they arrived .at this point a gunboat passed up the river so 
near them that the brass buttons upon the officers' blue coats were 

468 



MRS. ADAM R. JOHNSON. 469 

plainly visible. Taking it for granted that this couple were peace- 
able citizens, they did not molest them. After the danger had passed, 
a little sunken ferryboat concealed from the Yanks, for fear it 
v/ould be destroyed to prevent communication, was raised by its 
owner, and they were slowly transported across the turbulent tide 
of the Great Father of Waters. They now traveled toward Brook 
Haven, Mississippi. Near this place General Johnson .and his wife 
were in imminent peril of falling into the hands of the Federal 
General Grierson, who was raiding that part of the country, having 
started from Memphis and meeting "none to molest or make him 
afraid," but they put into practice the ''Indian dodge" they had 
learned upon the wild frontier of Texas and escaped his clutches. 

Upon their arrival at Jackson, the capital of the State of Missis- 
sippi, they found that it had been evacuated recently by Sherman. 
Many of the streets were flowing with molasses, and the railroad had 
been destroyed, with a large portion of the city by the vandal's fire. 
Finally, reaching railroad transportation, they went to the pretty 
little town of Marietta, Georgia, about sixteen miles from Atlanta, 
and here Mrs. Johnson was established, at least temporarily. 
Through all his lengthy tedious dangerous journey of several 
weeks, Mrs. Johnson never once complained of fatigue, or mani- 
fested any signs of fear; her answer to inquiries upon this point 
always being that her husband was fully competent to take care of 
her. 

Later she went to Virginia, and fell into the hands of Averill, who 
was making a raid through the mountainous region of the western 
part of Virginia. With Averill there was a number of negro troops 
who had. been burning 'and robbing houses. There was no man 
upon the place where Mrs. Johnson was staying, and she boldly 
went to the officer in command of them and demanded that a 
guard be placed around the house for the protection of the ladies. 
This officer proved to be a gentleman, and not only granted her re- 
quest, but took his position on the porch till all the men had passed. 

After General Johnson's release from imprisonment, he rejoined 
his wife, at her temporary residence near Fincastle, Virginia, at the 
hospitable home of Mr.'Rufus Pitzer. Notwithstanding the blind- 
ness of the general and his crippled condition, still requiring the 
use of crutches, they decided to go to Macon, Mississippi, where a 
portion of the command was in camp. When in the vicinity of 
Montgomery they encountered Wilson's cavalry on a destructive 



470 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

raid through Georgia. General Adams, of the Confederate forces, 
assured General Johnson that it would be impossible for him to pass 
Wilson's command, but the latter's motto being still, ''Where there 
is a will, there's a way," he determined to make the attempt. Pro- 
curing a wagon and horse, and accompanied by Captain William 
Moore, who now resides in Memphis, Tennessee, and a young 
man by the name of Frazier, from Arkansas, they drove around 
the army of raiders, eluding them entirely, and after many ups and 
downs arrived safe at the city of their destination, only a little the 
worse for wear. His escort, Captain Moore, reported to his old 
commander, General Forrest, while General Johnson immediately 
engaged in active preparations for taking his men, whom he found 
at this place, back into Kentucky, to recruit, and fight. 

But here the partner of his life, who had so long added to his 
liappiness and his pleasures and divided with him his sorrows and his 
discomforts, now demurred, and probably for the first time during 
their marriage relationship seriously opposed his plans, at least 
delaying him until he had to unconditionally surrender to fate, if 
not to her; for in April General Lee surrendered to the inevitable, 
and General Joseph E. Johnston and Dick Taylor soon did likewise. 
This of course destroyed all prospect of another expedition into 
Kentucky by Johnson and his men; and Mrs. Johnson with her 
husband started for their old home in Burnet, Texas, going by way 
of Vicksburg and New Orleans. The sequel of Mrs. Johnson's his- 
tory will be found in that of her husband, whose blindness has not 
prevented him from succeeding as a business man almost as well 
as a military chieftain, though it has prevented him from watching 
his fortune closely and effectually, for not many men in the Lone 
Star State have made more money by their own efforts, and lost 
more through the efforts of others. 

In planning and building near his old home the pretty and 
flourishing town of Marble Falls, with its picturesque environment, 
he has reared to his own honor and memory, however uncon- 
sciously, a handsome monument, which will most probably endure 
long after all our tall white cemetery columns have crumbled into 
dust. Blessed with health, cheerfulness, competency, and a family 
of children and grandchildren worthy of their noble parentage, they 
afford a signal type of genuine "American sovereigns," independent, 
true, kind, gracious, magnanimous, and beloved, as they gently 
rule over many loving hearts of relatives and friends. 



GENERAL ADAM R. JOHNSON. 

A TRIBUTE FROM GOVEXOR LUBBOCK, OF TEXAS. 

To the children of General Adam R. Johnson, of Marble Falls, 

Burnet County, Texas: 

You having expressed a desire for me to tell you my acquaintance 
and friendship for your father, I beg to say, that in 1857 I, being 
the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor of the State of 
Texas, determined to canvass the then frontier counties of the 
State. 

With my wife I arrived in Burnet, and having made a speech 
there, signified my intention of proceeding at once to Llano. Adam 
R. Johnson, then quite a young man, insisted that it would be quite 
dangerous to make the trip, that the Indians were numerous and 
would attack us, we being alone and unarmed. He said, ''If you 
will go, I will accompany you." And he with two others saw me 
safe to Llano. We saw fresh Indian signs in abundance, and I 
have ever believed that the presence of those young men more than 
likely saved our lives. 

This circumstance led to a warm friendship, that has never faltered 
in all time from that day to the present moment. 

General Johnson has been my warm political friend, supporting 
me for lieutenant governor, and then for governor. As soon as I 
was inaugurated governor .at the commencement of the Civil War, 
he called on me for information about raising troops in Texas. 1 
could give him no positive information, at that time; he was de- 
termined to go at once to the front and to his native State and en- 
list there. He did so, and was at once a prominent figure. He 
continued to perform deeds of valor and became known as "Stove- 
pipe Johnson" from the fact that he improvised stove-pipes and 

471 



472 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

wagon wheels to represent cannon and pounced down on the 
Yankees on the Ohio river, making reprisals, very much to their 
consternation and the benefit of the Confederate cause. 

Unfortunately for our cause as well as for him, he lost his eye- 
sight and became totally blind while in the active discharge cr his 
duty, and was made a prisoner. After suffering every indignity 
and privation that could be intiicted upon him, he was exchanged 
(they were willing to exchange a blind Confederate, not dreaming 
that he could be again a soldier). Upon his reaching Richmond, as 
soon as notified of his presence, I sought him out, standing ready 
to do him any service that 1 could. I called at once to see General J. 
C. Breckinridge, the then Secretary of War, who immediately called 
to see him at the Spotswood Hotel, where he was confined from his 
wound and a severe fall while in prison. The Secretary c; War 
said to him that he saw nothing for him to do but retire in conse- 
quence of his blindness; the tears fell down his cheeks. He as- 
serted that he could do good work in the ordnance department, 
that he could fill cartridges as well as other work, and that he 
would never retire as long as the war lasted. He then took occasion 
to say to the Secretary of War that he knew every foot of land in 
Kentucky, and if furnished with proper authority could enter Ken- 
tucky and bring out and put into the Confederate army a large 
number of good men. He was so earnest and intelligent in his talk 
that he was granted the authority and I am firmly persuaded that 
lie would have carried out his intentions had not our cause so sud- 
denly collapsed. 

President Davis also manifested much feeling in regard to Gen- 
eral Johnson's misfortune, and told him if it could be of any con- 
solation to him to know that his efforts in Kentucky had prolonged 
the war, he could assure him that they had done so. 

I was soon after captured and put in prison, where I was kept 
till near January, 1866. 

Your father returned home, and you know how he went to work 
to repair his shattered fortunes, how he lived on his fann 
guarding the place, gun in hand, although blind, the Indians not 
knowing of his misfortune. Finally with great energy and big in- 
tellect he forged ahead as a business man, engaging in his former 
land business and projecting great enterprises for the State. 

In 1878, when I was candidate for State Treasurer, he was my 
fast friend, and has from that time ever been my political and per- 



GENERAL ADAM R. JOHNSON. 473 

sonal friend. How could 1 do otherwise than admire and respect 
him for his mr.nhood and brilliant record as a Confederate soldier, 
and love him as my dear friend ? 

God bless and keep and prosper him and his dear and true wife 
and his children and his children's children ! 

Your sincere friend, 

F. R. LUBBOCK. 

GENERAL ADAM RANKIN JOHNSON. 

A SKETCH BY COLONEL MILLER, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. 

It v/ill be impossible, in a brief sketch, to do justice to the merits 
of the distinguished civilian and soldier, General A. R. Johnson; 
for if there is one man more than another whose memory should 
be perpetuated for an example to the youth of Texas, it is the sub- 
ject of this biography. 

Though a true son of the "Bluegrass State," he longed for the 
freedom of the broad plains of Texas, and in 1854 he settled down 
in Burnet, Burnet county, and cast his lot with these true-hearted 
frontiersmen who were then striving to protect themselves and prop- 
erty from the ravages of the Indians. Burnet was then a border 
county, and monthly raids were made upon it by the Comanches, 
and General Johnson had been engaged in several fights with the 
savages in sight of his now peaceful home, ''Airy Mount." As a 
surveyor and land agent, he has been specially active in inviting 
and obtaining a sturdy and intelligent population to the county. 

As noted and distinguished as he has become in peace, he was 
more notable and distinguished in war. Paladin of old was not more 
daring and heroic than this Southern knight on the field of battle. 
General Johnson's training as a soldier was received in Indian fights 
in Texas, and the peculiar character of warfare with the savages 
when he was contractor of the government, carrying the mails on 
the Overland Route from the stake plains station and El Paso, gave 
character to the kind of guerrilla warfare he waged so successfully, 
and from which he gained such celebrity in the Civil War. In his 
early manhood he distinguished himself for bravery and strategy 
upon the Texas border, and in defense of his home in Burnet county. 

General Johnson had just closed his contracts with the govern- 
ment, and returned with his young bride to his home in Burnet, 
in 1861, when the Civil War of 1861-5 startled the land from Maine 
10 the Rio Grande. Great excitement prevailed in every village 



474 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

and hamlet in the State of Texas. Johnson resisted the natural 
impulses of his birth and education, and attempted to stay at home, 
at least until he could get his business in condition to leave it, but the 
fever of battle increased too rapidly. He found that it would 
take too much time to arrange his business affairs satisfactorily^ 
.and in company with Judge Vontrice, he started for his native State, 
Kentucky. He went to Hopkinsville, and there finding General For- 
rest, he offered his services and was readily accepted, and proved to 
be Forrest's right-hand man. Forrest soon found that Johnson was 
highly endowed with courage, prudence, and judgment, and associat- 
ing him with another young man of the same stamp, Bob Martin, 
he used them as scouts. It is impossible to follow these two scouts 
through all their adventures and wonderful escapes, but when it 
is known that they hovered along the line of march with the enemy 
and often spent the night within a few feet of the Federal soldiers, 
sometimes in the same house, each playing to perfection the many 
different characters, and that they were never captured, it will be 
readily concluded that Forrest was wise in his choice, and that he 
received from them the valuable information that enabled him to 
make his name such a terror to the enemy, and that the story of 
their adventures would read more like a romance, only that romance 
would not venture to tell the facts that did really occur, because 
seemingly too marvelous for belief. 

Captain Ray, of Slaughtersville, Kentucky, who had a company 
of his own held in readiness to enlist in the Confederate army when 
a proper leader came along, refused to recruit with Johnson as 
their commander on account of his youthful appearance; but after 
this daring young soldier, with Martin and Owen, attacked the 
provost guard at Henderson, his fame was noised abroad, until 
hundreds of the young men in Kentucky, anxious to do battle 
in the Southern cause, flocked to Johnson's standard, and he soon 
found himself in command of a regiment, with Martin as lieutenant- 
colonel; and after the capture of Newburg, Indiana, they were 
well organized, the arms and .ammunition captured at that place dis- 
tributed among them, the little band assuming the appearance 
of an army. 

The capture of a small city like Henderson, Kentucky, and a 
village like Newburg, Indiana, may seem but a small and insignificant 
matter, while arm.ies of the Union were sweeping South; but it 
was mentioned in the London Times and other foreign papers as an 



GENERAL ADAM R. JOHNSON, 475 

evidence of the resuscitating power of the South in organizing new 
armies and .achieving victories in a country supposed to have been 
conquered by the Federal forces; and it must be remembered that 
the Southern Confederacy was seeking recognition at that time, 
and the importance of securing that recognition can not be over- 
estimated. No man in the Southern army, no matter how high 
his rank, displayed more military skill or intrepidity than General 
Adam R. Johnson. Hundreds of miles in the rear of the regular 
Confederate armies, in a territory occupied by the enemy, and on 
a river swept by the Federal gunboats, and in the face of orders- 
subjecting all persons who attempted to recruit for the Confederate 
army in the State, or who were found with arms in their hands, 
to a trial by a drum-head court martial and a summary execution, 
he organized a gallant body of troops, captured Hopkinsville, Ken- 
tucky, Clarksville, Tennessee, with arms .and supplies, and many 
other smaller towns, occupying at his pleasure any town south of 
Green river, as his headquarters, to which he boldly and publicly 
invited recruits, and by swift movements engaging in battle and 
defeating Federal detachments of superior force before they were 
able to concentrate. He was literally the "Swamp Fox" of Ken- 
tucky. His forces were daily increasing in numbers and efficiency, 
and he was daily enlarging the area of his operations, when un- 
fortunately in a battle in Southern Kentucky, he received the serious 
wound that blinded him for life, and put an end to his usefulness 
as a Confederate partisan ranger. The ball was fired from a 
covert, to which he presented a side shot, and striking one eye, 
passed over the bridge of the nose destroying the other in its course. 

The people of that section of the State regarded him with highest 
admiration and affection, and as the news of the loss of his eyes 
spread over the country, they were filled with despondency and 
personal grief for their champion, for he had made it unsafe in that 
section of the country for the Federals to domineer and hector over 
Confederate sympathizers, and had enforced upon the enemy the 
rules of civilized warfare. 

One important object was to open up Kentucky to a free and 
open communication with the Southern army, in which the sons 
of its citizens were serving. General Johnson, after recruiting 
about seven hundred men, conceived the plan of capturing Hop- 
kinsville, on the line of route to the South, and which was heavily 
garrisoned, and in that way to eflfect a junction with Colonel 



476 THE PARTISAN RANGERS. 

Thomas Woodward, another gallant partisan ranger, operating 
along the Tennessee and Kentucky line; and after the combination, 
attack and capture the important city of Clarksville, Tennessee, 
on the Cumberland river. By a forced march from his head- 
quarters at Madisonville of forty-five miles, he reached Hopkins- 
ville just before day, immediately charged the camp of the Federals, 
and put them to utter rout, and holding this town, was joined by 
Colonel Woodward. Clarksville, with much needed arms and 
munitions, was also captured, and the valuable supplies distributed 
among the needy Confederates. 

General Johnson carried out his secret orders to the entire satis- 
faction of the authorities, ,and played as gallant a part in warfare 
as any hero in an army of heroes. To most men the loss of sight 
at his age would have been disheartening and so discouraging as 
to encourage inaction and loss of interest in the affairs of life. Not 
so with General Johnson. At the close of hostilities he returned 
to his home in Burnet, not the fine home with the thousands of 
acres of land he now possesses, but an humble home, and com- 
menced most vigorously to repair his broken fortunes; and no 
man has succeeded more eminently than he has in accumulating 
a fortune, and of having been all along of the greatest importance 
and the main factor in developing the different material interests 
of Burnet county; and perhaps no man has led a more cheerful 
and happy life. His friends in Henderson bewailed the misfortune 
more on the ground of the deprivation to him of all happiness; 
but he has demonstrated the fact that he possesses a character so 
governed by the true philosophy of life that the physical loss of 
one of his senses has never clouded his mind with gloom or 
destroyed the joyousness of his spirits. As he enters into the bus- 
iness affairs of life, he enters into its social pleasures, and is one of 
the best informed and most agreeable conversationalists one will 
meet anywhere. In fact, he does as other men, and much better 
than most men, even, under his sad absence of sight. 

He now, in 1904, seems to be in the full vigor and meridian of 
life, full of energy, enterprise, and action, with a promise before 
him of many useful years to his family and country. 



-.. .,^^- 












..-^'-^v, 



^\ ^, v:^ 



/^'. 



■« 0* 




■ 




.5 -^^ 










z y^ 


c— ^ 




'^- v^'' 









I 



X' * 



,^l% 



SJ> -^.^^ 



.^' 



. ^^:m0^ 



'/ c 






-J^ 



^^ i' 



>1 - \^ 



^. .V- 



"'^^ X^^ 









v^^ '^ 



^v^;^ .^^ ^ %^^^^^^.v.- 



'^ .^' 



c^. 



-\ ' •- i*^^''^. 







oo'^ 




^"^ "■'^ , .. 





f ^ 



'P^' 



<n aV 



■^^.^^^ .\-^ 



' 9 , A ^^>i 



vO- 



s " y 






o\''^ 



O^' 



\^ "'^■. ^'^i^V 



0>' 









iX 






- /" 



>. 






^^' 



^. ^^ 





'•^. 


<^^ 


^ V 


./ 


•>* 










•t^-^ 



%'\ "^ V^ 






^^• •/■ 



^</> .^xV 



-^ 'i* 



.5 -:> 



". <p. 



\ 'P, 






^<i^ 









-'^^.^^' 

c^-^^. 



